Dreams are for Nights
by Mana Goddess
Summary: Kamen Rider OOO - Ankh is starting to have dreams which are slowly turning darker. Soon Ankh becomes trapped in a horrific nightmare which draws Eiji into them night after night. With the help of fellow Kamen Riders, can Eiji save himself and Ankh? Ankh x Eiji *Beware of spoilers from lots of Kamen Riders*
1. Dreams

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 1 - Dreams**

By Mana Goddess

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did then Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments.

**Author's Note****:** I was watching Episode 40 and saw that Ankh has begun to have nightmares about his cores being stolen. This was a great start for a story. This is an AnkhXEiji story because the show won't make them kiss like we want. There shouldn't be too much of a spoiler here, nothing life changing unless you haven't seen episode 25 and beyond…then you should go watch those episodes and come back.

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_ Thunder echoed in the empty restaurant, night having thrown her dark blanket over the city, draining her sorrows with a downpour that kept her residence in doors. The wind howled, moaning as it sensed danger in the air. The sound of falling metals clanking together awoke the Greeed sleeping on his perch in the tiny attic room. "A Yummy" Ankh said a bit drowsily as lightning flashing followed by thunder's great roar. Wheels in his mind began to turn as night's fog began to lift, his eyes flashed to the sleeping rider on the bed. "Hey, Eiji wake up, a Yummy!" _

_ Naturally, Eiji didn't movie. "Tch" he said. How the rider slept through this storm was beyond Ankh. Humans were strange; they were comforted by the sound of rain. Personally, it made Ankh antsy as hell. He jumped down from the red satin nest he had made in this tiny room, determined to wake the sound sleeper. Again, he called to Eiji, shaking him. "Eiji wake up!" nothing. Pulling back the covers Ankh's eyes widened as a different black haired man with Ankh's face was sleeping in the Rider's bed. _

_ Shingo rolled over and looked up at Ankh, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "Sorry, but there is no room for a filthy Greeed here," Shingo said, sitting up as he stretched lazily. Ankh looked down at himself, no, he was still in the borrowed body, but how could the body also be sitting in front of him as well? Thunder crashed nearby as Ankh's heart began to speed up in his chest._

_ Suddenly, two strong arms grabbed the Greeed from behind. Ankh tried to turn around but he couldn't move! Warm breath tickled his neck as he felt the embrace of the Rider. Growling, he struggled against the surprisingly strong grasp. "Eiji! Let me go there is a Yummy!" Ankh shouted, fighting panic back with everything he had. No, he would not panic; this was just some weird Yummy playing tricks on him. He would not give them the satisfaction of seeing him afraid._

_ A red feather slowly fell from the rafters, landing in Shingo's hand. The detective lifted it turning it this way and that, inspecting it as lightning flashed to illuminate the feather. Surprise crossed the Greeeds face as recognition hit him, it was Ankh's feather. "What a pretty bird, maybe we should keep it as a pet." Shingo chuckled, lightly caressing his own cheek with the feather while looking at the Rider holding onto the struggling Greeed. "He is kind of cute."_

_ Eiji shook his head, tightening his grasp on Ankh. "No, I think it's crowded enough in here. Besides, this Ankh needs to go back to his original Ankh so we can have you back, Detective." Eiji chuckled, his nose nuzzling Ankh's ear, sending shivers down the blond's spine and a light flush to his cheeks. "Such a shame, I was rather fond of you Ankh, but you wouldn't give in, you wouldn't let me love you. Your pride was your downfall, how could I compete? Oh well, as everyone knows, it is what's underneath that really counts." _

_The shutters burst open with a violent bang, rain pouring in and soaking the bed and the detective sitting up on it. Red feathers swirled in the room as the Child Ankh hovered outside, smiling mischievously. Lightning flashed and the boy was now in his true form, Ankh's Greeed body. He held his purple right hand out to the couple embracing. "I have come for me…" It whispered stepping into the room and kneeling on the bed. Shingo caressed the new Greeed, kissing his shoulder and caressing his beak lovingly._

"_See Ankh, why couldn't you be more like this Ankh?" He asked, running a finger down the mostly formed Greeed's face gently, smiling fondly at the imposter Greeed. Lost Ankh smiled, its bird eyes challenging Ankh to do something before the original Greeed lost his mind. He would fight, fight with everything he had, he would win this, somehow._

"_We don't need you anymore Ankh. Or should I call you, Lesser Ankh? Why don't you be a good birdy and return to your body so we can finally have a full person instead of just a fragment of a man?" Eiji whispered, holding the blond man tight with one arm, forcing the talon arm out, offering it to Lost Ankh to take. Ankh tried to pull his arm back, but Eiji was too strong, his words stinging surprisingly deep. He was NOT a fragment of a man, if anything Lost Ankh was a fragment of HIM, a piece Ankh really needed to get back. "We don't need you; OOO can still take over without your medals."_

_Ankh finally gave in to his panic, the words snipping the last of his courage. Eiji needed Ankh, he was useless as OOO without the Greeed, but it seemed he had been replaced. Ankh struggled as the storm picked up outside, the shutters banging against the wall with a new fury. The men laughed as the Lost Ankh reached out with his purple arm, calling on the medals within Ankh, especially his subconscious Medal. Memories flashed in his mind, memories of the King taking his medals, of the betrayal. Pain from being betrayed, once by the King and now by Eiji and Shingo, mixed within him, fanning his panic to an all new high. "Stop fighting it, just go already, I don't need you, I never needed you." Eiji whispered._

**-OOO-**

"NO!" Ankh yelled, sitting straight up on the stool, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. He looked around, searching for the imposter Ankh and the backstabbing man who called himself a Rider. He needed to fight, needed to get away to preserve himself. He could come back when he was stronger, when he had more Medals.

"Are you okay Ankh?" Eiji asked, holding a broom he was using to sweep up the restaurant, his voice snapping Ankh out of his panicked rage. Ankh's wild eyes locked onto the riders as he dashed to the man, grabbing him by the shirt and hauling him up so they were nose to nose with a growl.

"I will not lose to the imposter, and I will not lose to you. You need me more than you know!" Ankh shouted, shoving Eiji aside and stomping up the stairs to his perch of a nest, leaving a very confused Eiji downstairs. He checked his subconscious, the detective was still there. Good. Ankh would NOT give up this body so easily. If they thought Ankh could be defeated that easily, they had another thing coming!

**-OOO-**

_It was all a dream…?_ Ankh thought as he nuzzled into the red satin, the cool fabric calming his nerves slightly. The window was open and the sun was shining through, warming Eiji's bed as a gentle breeze ruffled the sheets a bit. He listened to the ruckus of the restaurant down below and decided that Eiji would be kept busy for a while. Hopping down he draped the red satin over the bed and lay atop it in the warming sun, giving into his other guilty pleasure of sunshine.

His talons rubbed the satin material as it warmed in the sunlight. It was such a good feeling to be like this. No one saw him like this with his defenses down, EVER. Sure he was still mentally searching for his core medals and listening for the sound of the cell medals, but for this moment he could just breathe. Inhaling deeply he was enveloped in the scent of the rider. Eiji always reminded Ankh of sunshine and the forest. It could be because Eiji was what was known as a 'free spirit' and always did what he wanted or it was his strange imagination that he had suddenly developed now that the detective was starting to wake up.

"I will not give this body up that easily detective, I still need it," Ankh whispered to soul buried beneath his own in the body. It was a bit strange sharing a body with someone, especially when that person was awaking within, ideas melding together to form an interesting mind. Part of him wondered if the detective could read Ankh's memories and thoughts as Ankh could read his, but that was for another day. When the day finally arrived and Ankh would leave this body, he would have no need for Eiji or any of them anymore.

At least that is what he lied to himself about. Grumbling, Ankh rolled onto his side, letting the other part of him bask in the warm sunlight. What were these dreams? Never in Ankh's extended life had he ever dreamt at night before; this was completely new to him. He searched the memory archive of the detective; a dream that left someone with a bad feeling was called a nightmare. Sometimes if one was stressed or upset the emotions and thoughts would take form during the night and attack. It was a strange concept, but if he were that kind of Greeed, it could be very useful. An inner desire turned on its head and attacking the dreamer, sounds like a devious Yummy.

"Ankh? Are you awake," Eiji asked, poking his head into the room. Ankh had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts he didn't even realize the rider was heading up to their room. Grabbing one of Eiji's own pillows he hurled it at the rider, hitting him square in the face. Caught off guard Eiji stumbled back out of the room. There is a bit of rustling and by the time Eiji peeked his head back in, Ankh was sitting on his own perch, his leg dangling over the side, the red satin hastily thrown back over its spot.

"Tch, what do you want Eiji," snapped a grouchy Ankh, his face hiding in the cooling satin, trying to hide a faint blush. If he didn't know any better, Ankh could swear he felt the detective chuckle inside of him. Growling, Ankh shoved the detective's subconscious aside. Must Ankh be surrounded by idiots?

"Oh, I was just checking up on you. You seemed to be having a bad dream while you napped on the stool. I didn't know Greeeds could dream, so I wasn't sure what was going on when you charged at me," Eiji said gently as he walked into their room to put his pillow back on his bed and fixing the ruffled sheets. "Ankh, were you laying on my bed?" He asked, as he smoothed out the sheets and blanket. He always made his bed and it would also explain how he got hit in the face with a pillow. Setting the pillow back down in its proper spot the rider turned to the Greeed, who had his arm thrown over his own face, hiding a furiously blush.

"Tch, what are you talking about?! Why would I lay on that low, flat, squishy thing?! Up here is much nicer and better suited for me," Ankh replied, scowling at the bed as if it was the lowest Yummy monster he had ever seen. Eiji sat on the bed, smirking to himself, but deciding to bait the Greeed a bit.

"I don't know Ankh, it is warm here and there is the window so you get a view of the sky from here." He patted the bed invitingly, looking out the window at the beautiful blue sky. Today really was a nice day. "Come on, give it a try, it could be surprisingly nice." Grumbling and hoping to shut the rider up, Ankh jumped down from his perch and sat awkwardly on the very edge of the bed, arms crossed over his chest and talon tapping his forearm.

"Nope, still not as good." He shot up and went to walk away but Eiji grabbed his arm and tugged him back down to the bed, forcing the Greeed to be almost in Eiji's lap, wrapping his arms around Ankh to hold him in place. Panic started to rise in Ankh as the nightmare played in his mind again. The detective inside his head tried to calm him, pointing out that Eiji wasn't holding him tight and that Ankh could get away if need be. It was surprisingly soothing.

"Give it a minute; one second in a place is not long enough to get a good feel for it." Eiji whispered, keeping his arm around Ankh and holding him in place. Ankh was shaking with rage and blushing bright enough to match his core metals. He wasn't quite sure who he was mad at, but someone needed this anger directed at them. He let out a long breath and sat there, determined to NOT enjoy the moment.

Silence stretched on and on, but it wasn't an awkward silence, more of a comfortable one between two people who knew each other and didn't feel as if they needed to fill that silence. Eiji held onto Ankh gently, one hand holding Ankh's talon while his other arm was around the Greeed to prevent him from escaping. Letting out a yawn as the sun slanted a bit more, warming them both on the bed, Eiji laid his head on Ankh's shoulder, suddenly feeling a bit sleepy and drowsy, sort of like a cat.

Ankh was pretty sure the poor detective's heart was going to give out at any moment from beating so hard for so long. He felt as if he had just eaten the best ice cream in the world and filled his body with cell medals at the same time all while running the entire length of Japan. What…what was this feeling, these emotions? It was a feeling of trust, that much Ankh knew, and it was also the feeling of caring for someone. This was different from what the detective felt towards his sister though, a different kind of caring. He couldn't put a name to it and the detective's memories weren't helping at all. Again, he could hear the faint chuckle of Shingo laughing on the inside. When Ankh finally got his own body, he would hit that man with all his might. That would teach him to laugh.

"If you ever get tired of sleeping up on that perch, you are always welcome to use my bed," Eiji whispered sleepily, his breath tickling Ankh's neck. The poor Greeed's heart almost failed him right there. With a squeeze of the hand, Eiji let go of Ankh and stood up, stretching to work out a few kinks in his body. "Alright, back to work! I hope you feel better Ankh. If you need something, anything, let me know." He smiled genuinely at the blond man before leaving.

Ankh was aware of several things all at once. First, that he was now cold without the rider's warmth next to him. He actually missed the contact. Second, these strange feelings for Eiji were confusing and made Ankh feel as if he just fought one of the other Greeeds. Third, and this one he wasn't completely certain of, but something in the detective told him it might be true, that Eiji felt the same way.

Standing, the Greeed put his hand on the door to follow Eiji out, to go talk to him, to…something. It was a strange to have so much desire for something. Yes, that was what it was, a desire for Eiji. The desire ran deeper than he expect, almost as deep as the desire to have his full body back, although he thought the desire for his own body was partially the detective's desire as well. _I want to know more about this…_Ankh thought, looking back at the bed he and Eiji had been sitting in only moments before. Not yet though, he needed to try to understand it within himself first. Sure, the detective tried to tell him that finding it out together with Eiji would be the best approach, but what did HE know? Shingo was just a stupid human after all.

Medals falling and clanking against one another caught his attention, pulling him from his internal debate with the detective. A Yummy? Now? Why couldn't it wait until later? Growling, he threw open the door and grabbed book which held all their Medals. "Hey! Eiiji! We have to go." He stormed downstairs, grabbing Eiji's hand and tugging him along. "I hear a Yummy." Both men were surprised by the sudden heat that burned from their joined hands, but neither let go of the other, choosing to ignore the sudden affection. Eiji squeezed Ankh's hand reassuringly, causing the Greeed to blush. With a not so gentle tug, Ankh pulled him along.

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**Another's Note**: Phew! That was exciting! My first attempt at writing fanfics in probably four or five years, and I'm quite proud of this one. I may add on, I might not, depends how much squealing and giggling I get as I watch OOO's. Enjoy it folks.

**Author's Update 6/10/13****: **I updated the story, making it flow a little better and preparing it for the added chapters. I never dreamed this story would become so much more involved than this. Sure I had sort of planned to write the next chapter, but that was it. I'm happy with it now. Thank you for reading. Please Review!


	2. Confession

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 2 - Confession**

**By** ManaGoddess

**Disclaimer****:** I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments. All characters from Kamen Rider are owned by the Toei Company.

**Author's Note****:** This chapter takes place during Episode 46. I will do my best to try to not ruin anything grand, but it is quite the end of the series. The scene is probably one of my favorites and absolutely made me melt. If you have not seen this episode then go watch the show, it is fantastic. This is an alternate version of the episode, but it's pretty damn close to the original. Enjoy my fellow Ankh x Eiji fans.

I would like to thank the kind folks at TvNihon for providing me with translations for the episode. Also, MelodyCurious this is for you as much as it is for me. 3

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Ankh was lost. His entire world was slowly spinning on his head. As Ankh walked around the closed Cous Coussier his mind wondered of all the events that had taken place in this strange restaurant. Sure, most of the people had annoyed him, especially that meddling owner Chiyoko, always trying to get him to eat a well-balanced meal. She was almost as bad as Hina. He opened the freezer and retrieved one of his ice creams, savoring the sweet taste. Although the women were annoying, they did always keep the freezer stocked with his favorite ice candies.

_"I'm sure you've tried eating"_ Mezool's voice whispered in his head as he stared into the mirror above the bar. His reflection looked back at him, a bite missing from the ice candy.

"Flavor. You Greeeds wouldn't understand." He said aloud to his reflection, not sure who he was really talking to, Mezool or himself. It was true that Greeeds didn't had duller senses; touch, taste, sight, smell, and hearing were all new and more vibrant to Ankh, something he had discovered when he took over the detective's body. Sure, they had a basic understanding of those senses, but they were so muted they might as well not exist. Taste, that was the first thing Ankh really enjoyed after being awoken from his long slumber. An ice cream he stole from a kid.

Taking another bite Ankh thought about Eiji, how he had been so helpful with Ankh's plan by becoming OOO and hunting down Core Medals and Cell Medals. Sure the Rider wanted Ankh to stay on the 'righteous' path, but Ankh was still a Greeed deep down. This was about survival, nothing personal against Eiji and his odd friends. So why was Ankh having such doubts? Why did his chest hurt? What was going on inside him?

Lost in thought, Ankh didn't hear the door of the Cous Coussier open or the footsteps that followed. A gasp followed by his name snapped him out of his wonderings through the past.

"Ankh," Hina said, surprised to see the Greeed sitting at the counter eating an ice cream. It was such a natural thing that she didn't realize how much she missed it, or Ankh. Yes, he looked like her brother but she had already begun to see him as a separate being. She knew how he felt about Eiji, how much he cared about the Rider, and yet he lied to himself about it, denying what everyone else could see. Cautiously, she took a step closer to Ankh. "Are you…coming back?" she asked, hopeful to his return. Eiji hadn't been the same since Ankh had left, seeming to betray the Rider and abandoning everything they had made together. She didn't believe for a moment that Ankh really wanted to be on the other Greeed's side. Yet his actions spoke differently.

Lifting his head, Ankh stared at Hina for a moment, reeling his mind back to the here and now. She looked so vulnerable right there, waiting for Ankh to answer her question. Recently she had started looking at him differently, more as a friend then as a parasite who invaded her brother's body. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but he did trust the absurdly strong girl. Standing up he walked over to the girl, mentally scolding himself as she cringed away from him slightly. She really was just looking out for him.

"I came to eat." He said after a moment, lifting the half eaten ice cream to show her. "It was delicious." Tears threatened to choke Hina but she nodded anyway. "There are so many other things too…So that's why…" Hina leaned forward, hoping, praying he would come back and finally bring peace to the restaurant. It was home for all of them, even if some didn't live there. Somehow he had wormed his way into their strange little family. "Let me have this body." Her eyes widened in shock at his request.

"Eh?" was all she could say. Maybe she had heard him wrong, how could she just GIVE her brother away? Yes, that was it, she must have misheard him. He knew how badly she wanted her brother back. He couldn't be THAT selfish.

"Let me have it," Ankh said again. She looked him in the eyes, he was serious. She shook her head, her gaze slowly drifting towards the floor. No, he really was a Greeed through and through. She mentally shook herself, pulling her mind out of shock from being asked such an absurd question.

"No, I cannot give it to you." Her head lifted as she looked Ankh's in the face, trying to see her brother buried deep inside of him. He was still there; he was still waiting for them to save him. No, she could not be the judge over whose life was saved, and whose was lost.

Ankh's heart broke slightly as he thought of all the things he wanted to try in the world. Food was one thing, but he wanted to see the world as Chiyoko and everyone had depicted it in their themed days, experience new things that were once bland and dull when he was a simple Greeed, but now had so much color and life to them. He had to know, curiosity would be the death of him. He couldn't do it alone though, he needed Shingo's body to accomplish these dreams, these desires. If he were honest with himself, he would admit he needed Eiji too, but that was for another time.

"Good morning!" Choyoko said in her sing song voice as she walked through the door behind Hina, carrying bags from the morning's purchase. She stopped behind the younger woman, stunned to see company here. "Ankh! No way! Long time no see! What happened? I was so worried!" She walked around Hina to see the Greed, her hands still full of bags. He was part of the family, even if he was sometimes a pain and didn't always take care of himself. That just meant it was her job to step forward and make sure he was alright. Walking to the bar she set the groceries on the table to free her hands, she would put them away later. "Are you alone? Where's Eiji? You'll stay for dinner today, right?" She kept talking, willing Ankh with her charisma to stay and help rebuild the family. It was painful to watch Eiji slipping away a little more each day, becoming more and more reclused. Didn't he know they really were meant for each other? Walking over to Ankh she turned him around to face her, smiling broadly "Actually, just come back. The attic's still available, why don't you and Eiji live here again? Okay?"

Ankh looked at Chiyoko, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the woman. He wanted to say so much, to tell her that he would be happy to go back to the little attic he shared with the Rider, but he knew that wasn't possible at this point anymore. "One of us might return here," he said, turning and walking out the still open door leaving a confused Choyoko behind.

"Eh? What's that mean? Wait! Ankh!" Choyoko said, walking after him but the Greeed was already gone by the time she got to the door. Hina's eyes widened as realization dawned on her, his words an awful omen. Something very, very bad was about to happen, and she wasn't sure if there was anything she could do to stop it. All she could do was pray for everyone's safety. The tears she held back so carefully finally broke free of their dam, rolling down her cheeks as a sob escaped her lips. Her strength had diminished, causing her knees gave out. She knelt on the ground, sobbing.

"Hina?! What is it?!" Chiyoko asked, not expecting an answer but wanting to help anyway she could. The comforting arms of Choyoko wrapped around Hina, holding the sobbing girl to her chest, murmuring soothing words. Something was happening; Chiyoko only hoped they had the strength to get through this.

**-OOO-**

At the beach, Eiji hopped from rock to rock, searching for the belt that had somehow gotten lost when he washed up on shore after that horrible attack. Gamel had started to rampage from all the cores inside him and Eiji needed to stop the Greeed before he did too much damage. He didn't want to think about what could happen if he didn't hurry up and subdue the strong Greeed. At least looking for the belt provided him with a distraction to his thoughts. He didn't want to think about the blond man whom he had lived with for the past year, didn't want to remember the pain of the betrayal. Damn it, he really needed to find that belt.

His chest seized a bit, taking his breath as he clutched his chest, the purple cores inside him reacting to his thoughts. He swore he could hear everyone reminding him to protect himself, to worry about him own safety and health instead of trying to save everyone else first. He would, eventually, but right now he needed to protect everyone else first. At this moment, he needed the power the purple cores gave him, he needed this. It was killing him, he knew, slowly turning him into that which he hated, but if it gave him the means to reach his hand out to one more person, then he would take it. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he stepped forward, continuing his search for the belt once again.

Something glittered in the sunlight, catching Eiji's attention and drawing his gaze further up the shore. There, just a bit ahead, he saw the sparkle of the sun's reflection off metal in the belt. Thank goodness he thought as he let out a sigh of relief. He knew Gamel was rampaging in the city once again further urging Eiji to hurry and get back. As he stumbled his way to the belt, black boots stepped up to it and a red talon reached down to pick it up. Eiji froze, his heart in his throat, as he saw the blond Greeed once again. His heart pounded so loudly in his chest that he swore Ankh could hear it even with the ocean waves crashing near them. Part of him wanted to leap for joy at the reunion, but the other half knew what was going to happen. They had made the allegiances quite clear earlier.

Ankh looked at the belt, turning it this way and that in his hand. It really was such a simple tool used to cause so much destruction to his own race, if you could even call a walking pile of Cell Medals a race. Their entire being was composed of Medals with their subconscious hiding in a Core medal, none of this living tissue and organisms that the other creatures of this world had. Slowly, he his gaze left the belt and focused on the Rider in front of him standing in the surf. Eiji looked tired he noticed, tired and hurt, but still strong and determined. Something told Ankh that Eiji would always be like this, no matter what life threw at him. There was something to be admired in that trait. Ankh's chest felt strange as seeing the Rider hurt and disheveled pulled at the strings of his Greeed heart, the nightmares that had plagued him before suddenly flooding through his mind. No, now was not the time to think about such things, to wonder about such what-ifs. If Ankh wanted to survive this war, he needed to get rid of OOO first, then he could focus on the rest of the Greeed.

"Ankh…" Eiji spoke first, not daring to take a step forward, unsure if he could even move his body. He was so hurt by the betrayal of Ankh, so angry that the Greeed thought this would help him get what he wanted in life. Eiji didn't understand why there was so much pain at seeing Ankh again. From the look in the Greeed's eyes, he didn't feel the same pain coursing through his heart, the same feeling of abandonment from the one you truly cared about. Ankh was a Greeed after all and Eiji needed to remember that if he was going to make it out of this alive. "Give that back," Eiji said, surprised at how calm and steady his voice was. He could do this.

"I have some business with you first," Ankh replied, looking at the belt in his hand then back to the rider. He knew today would not end well, but damn it he had to settle things between them once and for all.

"Gamel's rampaging! Give it back!" Eiji shouted. Even though Eiji wanted to finish things here and now with the Greeed, he knew that he was needed back in the city, protecting the people first, and to put a stop to all the destruction. His only hope was that Shintaro would be able to hold Gamel off as Birth while Eiji got his belt back. Steeling his pride, Eiji took a deep breath. It was time to end this game. Determined to take the belt back by force, Eiji charged the unsuspecting Greeed.

Ankh was genuinely surprised to see such anger from Eiji; normally he was so calm and collecting, hoping to talk things out first. This meant he really was serious about his threat of defeating Ankh if he had a chance to. Switching the belt to his normal hand, Ankh shot a fireball from his talon at Eiji, hoping to deter the Rider from this silly game. Purple light flared from Eiji's left arm, deflecting the fireball with ease. Eiji swung with his Greeed arm, Ankh bringing up his own talon to block Eiji's sudden attack. No...Ankh wouldn't believe it, couldn't believe that the Rider was succumbing to the cores in his chest. He was a better man than this. No, not his Eiji…His mind struggled with this new realization.

"Do you still have your reasons?!" Ankh asked, pressing against the Rider's arm, trying to knock him back. "Youv'e become such a Greeed!" Ankh sneered, struggling against Eiji's force, his eyes darting from the purple Greeed arm to the Rider who owned it. This was wrong and Ankh knew it. Eiji chuckled softly, pushing the Bird Greeed back a bit.

"Despite my body, I still have my reason. Plus I'm serious. Thanks to you, I know more about the Greeeds," Eiji replied, locked in a stalemate with Ankh. His eyes held all his usual seriousness, determination burning brightly inside him. There was no doubt in Ankh's mind that Eiji meant those words. Still, something didn't quite add up.

"Oh…And?" Ankh scoffed, trying to edge the Rider on. If Eiji wanted a fight, he would give him a fight alright. Eiji pushed Ankh back swinging with his normal arm trying to steal the belt back. Ankh caught the man's shoulder throwing the Rider back a ways and charging him once again. They struggled in the wet sand, Eiji trying to take the belt back while Ankh trying to prevent it. Finally the belt went flying, landing in the sand near them. Both men went after it, but Eiji was closer and had a head star. Ankh grabbed Eiji, throwing him to the side roughly. Ankh sneered at the Rider, both men trying to catch their breath, stumbling in the wet sand. For the moment, the belt was forgotten. Putting his hand on his chest, Eiji looked up at Ankh, concern and hope painted all over his face.

"Ankh, I will break the Core Medals," Eiji declared. "That way no one else will completely revive or go out of control." Didn't Ankh understand what he was trying to say? Eiji actually wanted to protect the Greeed, wanted to help them become humans or whatever it was they wanted. He was certain there was some good in them. There had to be a way, even if that meant breaking part of their bodies piece by piece and rebuilding from the ground up. Slowly Eiji rose to his feet. "I won't let you use Shingo as a Medal container!" He shouted his blood pumping as he stood facing the Greeed. Ankh's cocky smile made its appearance; yes this was what Ankh wanted to see in the Rider, all of that passion and determination. Now it was getting good.

"Just what I thought. That's just the kind of thing you would say." Ankh looked at Eiji, his mind coming to terms with what needed to be done if Ankh had any plans to survive this nightmare. It would hurt both of them, but survival was more important. The Greeed silenced his pounding heart and put saving his life at the top of his list. "That's why I also made a decision. For what I need…I need to crush you for being in the way." He quickly shot his talon arm out, another fireball launching itself at Eiji, distracting him. While the Rider defended against it with his purple arm, Ankh summersaulted over him, landing behind Eiji, punching the surprised man.

Rage finally erupted from the two as the swung fists at each other, passion mixing with pent up emotions and frustration, exploding with each blow they exchanged. Did they know what they really fighting about? They said it was to stop the Greeeds, to make sure the other didn't get in his own way, but it felt like something more. If Ankh was honest with himself, he would have realized he was taking his aggression out on the one person he cared about. He was denying his feelings in order to survive. He couldn't be like Eiji and risk his entire being to save one man. After all, Ankh was a Greeed. Eiji knew he why he fought, he fought for all the people that needed protecting. Yet right here, right now, he was fighting for himself, for all the times he had been shoved aside by Ankh and treated so poorly. For some reason, it felt like exchanging blows was the only language the Greeed knew.

They dragged the fight into the water, Eiji throwing Ankh down and crouching over him. He held the Greeed's head out of water by his shirt, his own body shaking with rage unlike that he had ever known. "What do you want, to be human?!" Eiji screamed at him, shaking Ankh to prove his seriousness and to hopefully shake some sense into the dense Greeed. Their rage began to boil, but it was fueled by a different heat. If they were going to fight, Eiji wanted Ankh to know the truth, what he really felt. If he made a fool of himself, so be it. Damn it he was tired of feeling so low and used by this man.

"It's simpler than that!" Ankh shouted, finally silencing his mind and letting his heart talk. His mind didn't know how to properly have a fight, so he decided to use some of the Detective's emotions to help fuel his own pounding heart. Ankh held onto the Rider's shirt, pulling them closer to one another, shouting at him. "I want to live a life so that I can properly taste the world!" It seemed so simple, couldn't Eiji understand that? One thing Ankh had learned by living in the Detective's body was that living wasn't about some grand scheme, trying to take over the world, or killing people. It was about the simple things, living each moment to its fullest as it passed by.

And he wanted to share each moment with Eiji. The sudden realization scared the Greeed to his very core, even managing to frighten the Detective inside him. He was a man used to living for himself, trading sides to whichever one he thought would win and guarantee his survival. Anger bubbled inside the Greeed once again as his mind whirled on the new knowledge. Growling, he shoved Eiji off of him, kicking him in the leg once Ankh was standing so Eiji would fall into the water. Slowly, they both got to their feet, spitting out water and glaring at each other.

"Greeeds are not alive! They're just objects." Ankh said, slowly straightening to his full height, his anger cooling slightly as his thoughts ran on. "Because of that, desire is the only thing they exceed in compared to humans. Eating, looking, touching…a desire that can never be fulfilled! Do you truly…"

"I know!" Eiji interrupted, finally straightening and catching his breath. Something dawned upon him, everything clicked together as the final puzzle piece fell into place. Ankh desired something **more** than flavor or sweets, and Eiji finally saw this. The man was more complex then he thought. "Maybe I should say I understand." He knew what it was like to suddenly lose those things. Ever since he had the purple Cores inside of him, colors were dull, food was bland, and the world just wasn't what it used to be. Yet, here with Ankh…"Despite that, I'm still doing this." Ankh laughed, shaking his head at the Rider.

"So you'll become a Greeed?" Ankh asked, mocking the Rider for his beliefs. He knew Eiji was way over his head about becoming a Greeed. What did he knew about living a life like this?

"Yeah," Eiji said smugly before charging Ankh once again and punching him in the face, knocking the Greeed onto his back. Shaken for a moment by the sudden attack, Ankh quickly scrambled to his feet and returned the punch, this time knocking Eiji off his feet and onto his back in the water.

"What do you know, Eiji?!" Ankh shouted as he watched the man scramble to his feet. "You don't understand a thing!" How could a human know what it was like to suddenly have the world come into focus? Did Eiji remember the first time he had ice cream? How the flavors overloaded his tongue, giving way to some new and wonderful experience? Ankh knew. "If you're a Greeed, then stop looking like someone with no desires!" Ankh stumbled towards Eiji, shoving him once again to drive his point home. "You desire, right?!" _but do you desire me_ a voice whispered in the back of Ankh's mind, startling the Greeed. He silenced it, rage still wining in this emotional battle. He would worry about strange voices in his head later.

Both men fell to their knees in the water, their clothes sticking to them as waves slowly rolled over. Finally, Eiji snapped. "You desire, right?!" Eiji shouted back at the Greeed, pain surging through him as the Cores stirred once again within him. He was more emotionally hurt than physically. He was so tired of pining after a person who only wanted to use him for their own personal gain. Damn it, this couldn't go on, not if Eiji wanted to remain sain. "If you desire life, then you should cherish human life!" he swung again, hitting Ankh in the face and knocking him on his back once more. The Greeed scrambled to his feet, not wanting to be caught offguard.

"Like I care!" Ankh crouched in the water, his heart in his throat. If he was honest with himself, he would have seen the pain in the Rider's eyes and truly understand what it meant. To Ankh, the pain seemed to be just from the cores or maybe their fight was finally taking a toll on the Rider, ignoring what his heart was telling him different. Yet he was a Greeed through and through, someone who lived only for himself with blinders on to obscure everything else. "Try desiring something! Then you'd understand! Do you desire anything at all?!" Ankh swung, knocking a slightly stunned Eiji flat on his back. Quickly, Ankh sat atop him, pulling his face to meet his as he shouted at the man. "Do you?! Eiji!"

Eiji was stunned. How could Ankh not know what he truly desired above all else? Yes, Eiji wanted to save the world, to put an end to the Greeed's rampage, but there was something more he wanted, something he desired so deeply that he never really acted upon it for fear of breaking it. Sure, he offered Ankh some comfort, but Ankh misread that as friendship and not what it truly was.

"I…" Eiji started, tears filling his eyes and rolling down his cheeks, hidden by the drips of seawater from his hair. "I…desired…" His mind replayed the night when Ankh had started having nightmares, of Eiji comforting him from the storm of emotions that plagued the Greeed. "I desired, but I gave up on it, " betrayal plagued his mind once again as he remembered Ankh joining the enemy's side, all of the loss, the abandonment came flooding back. "And just focused on what's in front of me." His heart screamed at the memory forcing it back to the depths which it came from. "I wanted the power to reach out my hand, no matter how far away it was!" Eiji remembered the look in Ankh's eyes as he was being captured by the other Greeeds, the look of fear, the silent plea for help. He had reached his hand out to Eiji, but Eiji couldn't help him, he wasn't strong enough then. "More! More!" he cried out, remembering his first meeting with Ankh when Eiji had saved Ankh thanks to the belt and Cores. Eiji looked up at the Greeed's eyes, smiling fondly at the blond man, his hair plastered to his face from the water. "And I got it, because you gave it to me." Emotion swelled in Eiji's voice as the damn that held back his emotions finally broke. He needed to do this, needed to put his heart on the line. It was now or never. "I never said this to you before…Ankh…I love you."

_Ankh…I love you_ the words echoed in Ankh's head again and again, his heart echoing something back but he couldn't quite understand it. Ankh's world had suddenly stopped spinning, stopped going out of control and finally righted itself. Everything changed with those few words. "Eiji…" was all Ankh could say, lost and confused as to what to do. The Greeed had no words for this really; he was in all new territory. No, he knew deep down inside what this was because he had dreamt it enough times to know. Summoning every ounce of courage he had, even borrowing some from the detective, Ankh pulled Eiji up and kissed him.

Everything dropped away, the sand, the ocean, the Greeed, the Cores, the world. Nothing mattered at that moment but the Rider underneath him. Ankh clung to Eiji with all of his might, willing the Rider to accept what he couldn't say. He didn't know how to say what was screaming inside his heart, he just felt it. Even the Detective's memories couldn't find anything to say to Eiji that would help convey Ankh's feelings. All Ankh knew was that this felt right; this was where he needed to be, here with his Rider. How many nights had Ankh stayed awake to simply watch Eiji sleep, make sure he was safe through the whole night? Honestly, he should have realized this sooner.

Ankh made a decision right then and there that he would do everything in his power to save the man who held his heart. If he could, he would give all his core medals to this man just to see him succeed in his own, colorful dreams. Yes, Ankh would help this silly human protect the world, because to Ankh, this silly human WAS his world.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** And that's how it's done folks. That is how the episode should have ended. I've got one more chapter to write after this and I think you will like it. Please review!

**Author's Update 6/27/13****:** Originally I stopped by this chapter to look up a reference I had made so I could use it while writing the current chapter (chapter 9). Three hours and over 1,500 words later, I have fixed the chapter a bit to make it flow better. Woot.


	3. Nightmare

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 3 – The Nightmare**

By ManaGoddess

**Disclaimer****:** I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments. All characters from Kamen Rider are owned by the Toei Company.

**Author's Note****:** Alright folks, if you have NOT seen the end of OOO you should be ashamed and go finish it now. Don't worry, I'll wait. Feel better? Good. Now this part takes place after the show ends. Be warned though, this chapter is VERY dark and kind of creepy, not very kid friendly. I recommend reading this in a well lit room with some noise in the background so you won't get startled. In all seriousness if you don't' care for dark, gore, horror story stuff, you can skip this chapter and I'll see you in the next one with a minor recap.

This is for you Green Phantom Queen, thanks for the ideas.

* * *

Eiji was tired, worn out, and just exhausted beyond belief. The tiny bed in the attic of the Cous Coussier felt absolutely divine at the moment compared to the harsh ground and sand dunes he had been sleeping on for the past few months during his travels around the world. At least for the next week he could relax at his favorite place in the world.

Well, it would be his favorite place if it didn't feel so empty in the small room. Lying on his back, Eiji looked at the perch his Greeed had made when they first moved in. The red satin was a bit stained now and had wrinkles that would take forever to smooth out, but it was still Ankh's little nest. He had so many memories of them living in this room, memories of a better time when the world seemed to be happy even though Greeeds were running amuck in the city. His heart ached at those thoughts. They had fought a lot, argued, and even tried to kill each other on more than one occasion, but somewhere near the end, it all became unimportant. Reaching into his pocket Eiji pulled out the broken red core…Ankh's soul core.

Tears threatened to spill as his heart broke all over again. Even after that fight Eiji hadn't let himself truly understand the pain of losing his dear Greeed, to just let go and _grieve_. Sure, he knew that _someday_ Ankh would be back, but that someday wasn't getting here fast enough. Here, laying in the bed they had both shared on the cooler nights, it brought the pain back, the pain of loss. He wanted to scream, scream and pummel someone, which is odd since he was against violence. Eiji didn't care if he could never become OOO again, he'd trade all that in just to have Ankh back.

No, that was being selfish. A smile escaped through the tears as he thought about being greedy for once. Isn't that what Ankh would want him to do? To have a desire so strong you want to say 'screw it' to the rest of the world? Maybe the Greeed had rubbed off on him a little bit. At least that's what his friends said.

Finally giving up, Eiji rose and opened the window letting the fresh air in. It had been a while since someone had occupied the tiny attic and he did drop by unannounced, asking for a place to stay for a little bit. Of course he would work for his housing; he had no problems with that at all. It would be a good change to have a simple job for once. Dress up in fun clothes, serve people, laugh and talk with others, he might even be able to do a bit more research on finding a way to revive Ankh. Anything was worth a try. Rubbing the tears away from his eyes, he sniffled a few times and let his gaze wonder around the room. Instinctually his eyes rested on the red satin perch once again. Knowing he wouldn't get much sleep, he stood and snatched the familiar cloth off the nest, and then laid back down in the light of the window to watch the stars sparkle in the night sky, cuddling with the cool keepsake of Ankh's, letting his tears fall. At some point, he had begun to drift to sleep.

**-OOO-**

"_Eiji…" a voice whispered in the dark, disturbing Eiji from his sleep. "Eiji..." again, he heard the voice, this time the voice seemed to be in pain. It sounded so familiar though…something Eiji had heard countless times again and again…but his mind was too groggy with sleep that he couldn't focus. "Eiji…please…help me…" The darkness receded slowly in his mind letting the plea slip through the haze. That was Ankh's voice! Panic flared through Eiji in an instant._

"_Ankh! Ankh I'm here." He sat straight up, eyes scanning the room for the familiar Greeed. Instantly his hand was searching the dress for the red, broken Core, but it wasn't there. "Ankh!" he shouted again as he threw the sheets around, searching for the pieces. It had to be here, it had to!_

"_Eiji…please…they are…hurting me…" Ankh's voice pleaded, followed by a groan of pain. Eiji looked around the dark attic, his eyes finally adjusting to the lack of light. Everything seemed to be in its place, just as it was before he went to bed; there was nothing but him and the trunks full of props and costumes. Frantic, he searched the bed area once again for the Core Medal, but it just wasn't there. Giving up, he called out to Ankh again._

"_Ankh! I'm here! Where are you?!" He leaned out the window, scanning the empty alley way. "ANKH!" panic was beginning to crawl its way into his chest, gripping his heart in its tight grasp. No, he would not give in to fear yet, he was a Kamen Rider and he would get through this. _

_Ankh's groans turned into screams, stabbing Eiji's heart like daggers as he heard his name called out, begging him to rescue Ankh. Each scream pierced his skull, causing his heart to race and fear to close its hand around his heart a bit tighter. Determined, Eiji threw open the window and jumped out of it, landing not so gracefully out in the alley that ran behind the Cous Coussier, calling out Ankh's name. He didn't care if he woke the whole neighborhood, he would find Ankh and destroy the bastard who dare to hurt his Greeed. He took off running, calling Ankh's name again and again. His heart pounded in his skull with each scream, urging him to run faster, to find him. _

_Sobs, he heard someone crying. It was faint at first, but as he ran down the empty side streets, it slowly became louder and louder. Running down another alley he saw a door, barely open, and the sobs coming from within there. Stepping back he looked at the sign above the door, apparently It belonged to a closed down marionette store that used to sell toys to the local children. So why there would be crying in it was beyond Eiji. Either way, he decided to investigate; Ankh might be in there. Slowly the Rider crept up to the door and stuck his head in. If he had been paying attention, he would have seen the giant shadow of a bird pass over him from the alley, or heard the strange cry of this giant creature._

_Everything stopped. Bile rose up in his stomach, threatening to make him sick right there in the alley. Inside the dim, dank room was something that froze his heart. As a man who faced countless danger while fighting the Greeed, traveling around the world to help improve the quality of life, it took a lot to shake him. There was blood everywhere, so much blood. Whatever the blood had come from couldn't be alive anymore. Rusty medical interments laid scattered around the room, covered in blood and god only knew what else. Saws, clamps, scalpels, even a strange sewing kit were all over. On the back wall, hanging from wires pierced through his hands, feet, and something around his skull, was a blond haired man covered in blood wearing familiar red pants and a black shirt with one sleeve ripped to reveal a talon. 'No' the word kept repeating itself in Eiji's head as he walked slowly towards the man hanging on the wall, the door closing softly behind him. Dim lights illuminated the hanging man. He was shaking, sobbing, and mumbling something._

"_You idiot…why…I thought…I was precious…Eiji…you bastard…" the man mumbled as blood dripped from his hands onto the stained floor below. Terrified, Eiji stepped in front of the man, accidentally kick some sort of sawing tool on the floor. The person winced, growling low in his throat. "NO! Get away from me!" he screamed. Lifting his head, he stared straight past Eiji, the person searching the room for the source of the person who made the noise._

"_Ankh," was all Eiji could say his heart lodged itself in his throat, cutting off anything else he was going to say. The man…the bleeding man stared hard at Eiji's face, not recognizing him. Light from a swinging lamp above showed why he was having such problems focusing: Ankh's eyes had been removed and replaced with glass bird eyes. His lips were sewn loosely shut, but able to still move a bit. Blood rolled down his cheeks, mixing with tears. Without a doubt, this was Ankh. The Greeed growled again, wincing in pain against the stitches. He relaxed as his willed his eyes to focus, but was still blind. Ankh listened careful as Eiji whispered his name again. Recognition flashed across Ankh's face, this was Eiji._

"_Please…help…" Ankh leaned his cheek against the hand on his shoulder, drawing in the warmth of his lover. He pulled against the strings, trying to reach his hand out, but was unable to move it more than a few inches as the strings were supporting his arms, the wounds around the strings already beginning to heal, fusing with the cord. Hastily stitched scars ran along his exposed arms at the joints, showing signs of wear and tear and possible infection. He needed to get Ankh out of her fast if had any chance of survival. How long Ankh had been hanging here was unknown, but he needed to help him. _

_Hope swelled in Ankh's chest, adding new tears to his already beaten and violated body. He felt like such a coward for crying, he was a Greeed, he should be strong than this! Yet, feeling Eiji so close to him, it tore down all his barriers and he finally just let go. It took everything in Eiji's being to NOT grab Ankh in a tight embrace, tell him everything was going to be okay and that they would leave this godforsaken place. He couldn't do that, not until he was certain he could save his Greeed. He wished with all of his heart that their reunion had been different, but right now he needed to focus on Ankh, he was hurt badly possibly even dying. _

"_It's alright Ankh, I'm here now. Tell me, who did this to you?" He asked as he tried to undo the strings piercing Ankh's hands. It was no good though; it was steel cable run through, secured by something in his palm. He tried the feet next, no good, he couldn't get them off without essentially ripping off his hands and feet. "Can you transform Ankh? Maybe that will help." Again the Greeed sobbed and shook his head._

"_It was…them…they are…back…" Ankh said his strength fading as both men tried to undo the ropes piercing him. It was no good; they were secure in his flesh. "Run Eiji…don't be an idiot…you can't save me…" It hurt so much to talk as Ankh's lips cracked and bleed against the stitches. Both men felt completely powerless at the moment, unable to do anything but comfort each other. Eiji lifted Ankh's head, leaning their foreheads together._

"_I won't leave you ever again, I'll save you, I promise." Reaching into his pocket, Eiji felt for his belt, but it wasn't there. No, he couldn't have left it back at the restaurant; he always kept it with him. He began to frantically search his baggy traveling clothes, willing the belt to suddenly appear. It was no luck and Ankh's breaths were slowly fading into the silence as his strength began to perish._

_Laughter, the kind a doll makes, flittered through the dark, dank room. It was a strange sound, as it seemed to echo, making it seem to come from everywhere yet nowhere. Ankh thrashed against the cables, but it was no good, his body went limp almost instant. He growled again. Eiji shifted in front of Ankh, shielding the Greeed with his body. The door banged open, slamming into the wall behind it bringing with it a chilly wind blasting in through the room, clanking the metal tools against one another causing them to ring into the night. A winged figure stood in the door way, blood dripping from the talons on its left arm. The creature laughed again as it stepped into the room and into the light._

_The red Greeed stared at Eiji, smiling as it picked at the feathers on its arm to clean them. He was Ankh's Greeed form; the bird Greeed that was made from Ankh's missing parts, the Lost Ankh. Eiji looked over his shoulder at Ankh behind him who shaking with pure rage, frantically pulling on the ties, making the wounds worse as he reopened them, blood began to flow faster down his hands. He sounded scared and angry as he tried to not give into the panic that he was clearly lost in. _

"_I see you found my little pet! He is such a naughty birdy, not staying in his cage like I told him to. So, to make sure he doesn't fly away I decided I would cut his wings!" Lost Ankh said, laughing once again with the strange sound like a doll's. "But that wouldn't shut him up! His song was not beautiful anymore. Oh how he cried and cried…what were those words? 'Eiji help me' and 'save me Eiji' what a terrible song! Oh, my beautiful Mockingbird, how he angered me so with that hideous song. And yet, I showed him! Gouged his eyes out his song changed. He did whatever I wanted, just like a good little birdy. The glass eyes really do look nice, don't you agree? I couldn't just LEAVE the holes there; no, no it looked awful." Laughter rang through the room again, enraging Eiji. Henshin be damned, he charged the Fake Greeed, punching it in the side of the head, knocking him off his feet._

"_YOU BASTARD!" he shouted, as rage pumped through him, causing that hand of fear to squeeze even tighter around his heart. No, this bastard would pay for what he did to Ankh. Lost Ankh sat up on the floor, smiling up at Eiji. The Greeed hesitated for a moment, his eyes glancing towards the open door before nodding and smiling at Eiji._

"_So you are this 'Eiji' thing are you? Hmm, maybe I should keep you as a toy too, little Ankh does seem to like playing with you. Since you've arrived he has sung such a beautiful song of sobs and hope, oh it makes me shiver with delight," Lost Ankh slowly rose to his feet, wiping blood from his lip onto his thumb and tasting it. A sick smile twisted his lips as he walked towards Eiji. "You will be mine. You will be my plaything and you two will have so much fun together. I might play with you every day, but only if you are more fun than little Ankh. I wonder who is stronger, you or him? Let's find out." Wings spread, Lost Ankh dashed towards the Rider. Ready for the fight, Eiji threw his arm up, ready to block the attack, but before nothing connected. Suddenly, his world shifted, tilting as if he was falling backwards. His arms flailed a bit as he tried to get his balance, but he kept falling down, down, down into the inky darkness. The last thing he heard was his name from Ankh, the strange laughter of Lost Ankh, and a Crow's call before darkness swallowed him._

_**-OOO-**_

_Eiji's head lolled from side to side as he slowly regained consciousness. Thank goodness it was just a dream. He felt like shit, his body was sore and it felt like his emotions had been on the most horrific rollercoaster that he was certain would never end. He had finally found Ankh again; only to watch him suffer in pain while being tortured by his lost half was just too much for the Rider to bear. He let out a shuttering breath and opened his eyes to the dim light._

_Something was wrong, something was very wrong. This wasn't the Cous Coussier at all. No, he was in some strange living room. The walls were painted a sickly yellow and had pictures on them, pictures of…dolls it looked like, marionette dolls hanging from their strings. Each doll had a look of sadness to it, sadness and death. They were so realistic looking, like humans who had been transformed into a child's plaything. A shiver ran down his spine as he looked at each picture. One girl in the picture, he swore looked like Mezool's human form, with her school girl outfit ripped and stained with something that looked like blood. Her body was positioned as a ballet dancer about to take a leap, but something was wrong with it. Her doll body appeared to be chipped and broken in places, with part of her forearm missing completely. What the hell was going on?_

_Eiji tried to move his head to look around more, but found he couldn't budge, some type of rope or string suspended from the ceiling was holding him up. He attempted his move his arm, but felt the strings tug on it. His gaze focused on his hand, there appeared to be a fresh wound with the strings piercing his hands just like Ankh…just like Mezool in the picture. Panic fully grasped him this time causing him scream as he pulled harder on both his hands, but there was no give, he was strung up on something in the inky blackness above._

"_Oh good, you are awake," Lost Ankh's voice boomed above him. Eiji's eyes searched around frantically, attempting to find the source of the sound. It was so hard to see with the dim light. He tried to step forward but his joints wouldn't work, it was if the tendons had been cut. _

"_What did…you do…to me," Eiji tried to shout, but ended up mumbling half of the inquary. His mouth…his lips had been sewn together! No…this had to have been a dream, it had to! He pulled against the strings again but his strength was rapidly fading. A bright light flashed from the blackness above, almost blinding the poor Rider._

"_Don't you know? I've made you into the most wonderful toy!" A mirror was placed in front of Eiji while the voice spoke. Slowly he opened his eyes as they adjusted to the sudden bright light. The man in the mirror looked like Eiji, but he was all wrong. His clothing had changed from his tie-dyed shirt and pants to a strangely bright green short sleeved t-shirt and beige pants. Fresh stitching ran along the joins in his arms, appearing to connect one part of the arm to the other. Both his arms and legs had strings on them, disappearing into black ceiling above. His face was painted up with strange makeup, bright blush on his cheeks, exaggerated eyebrows slanted to make him seem happy, even his lips were painting into a forced smile; the strange stitches that kept his lips closed blending into the makeup well. His hair had been slicked back off of his face, almost glued in place._

_Laughter dragged the shocked Eiji from his own reflection as he stared into the unending darkness above. Creaking wood echoed in the dark room as suddenly he felt himself dragged to his feet by the strings attached to his hands and feet. He resisted against the pull of the wires, but he was too weak, his body simply did not have the strength to resist. He stumbled along, his weight barley supported by the limbs, his head swinging around as his eyes frantically searched the darkness above for whoever was controlling him. _

"_Oh me, oh my… just wondering the world on my own little adventure, nothing exciting…" Lost Ankh narrated in a sing-song voice as the strings bounced Eiji like a marionette doll. "Oh? What's this?" Eiji stopped, his body lurching a bit before settling with his hands touching his face in mock surprise. The room was a bit different over here. The walls were still painted the same hideous yellow, but now there was some furniture. He appeared to be in a strange sort of living room. There were two dark brown chairs, each facing each other with a matching couch in between them. A beat up, glass top coffee table was placed in front of the furniture, with what looked like magazines scattered around it. Sitting on the couch was a now clean Ankh. Ankh's head hung but his arms were crossed over his chest with one leg over the other, almost looking he was sleeping. His face was painted similar to Eiji's, bright cheeks, forced smile, and strange eyebrows that made him seem a bit more feminine than he was. His red pants had been mended it seemed, the blood cleaned off of them as well as his shirt was neatly pressed and laundered. Someone had taken great care to make Ankh look presentable. Even the stitches around his joints had been redone with a more careful hand. Still, the strings connected his limbs to some great darkness above. _

"_ANKH, I'm here," Eiji tried to shout, but his voice came out as a strange grunt against the stitching on his lips. Ankh's eyes opened and his head lifted only enough to focus on Eiji. The strange doll eyes met Eiji's normal eyes, holding a sense of fear and pleading. Save me they seemed to say, but how could they save each other when they were both snared in the same trap? It didn't matter; Eiji would do everything he could to reach his hand out to Ankh and save him._

"_Now, now, we don't need you to mess this up by adding your own dialog, that's why we closed that annoying mouth of yours," Lost Ankh's voice echoed from above. Suddenly Eiji was lifted off his feet by the strings, hovering in the air by the stings he thrashed back and forth very quickly, causing joints to spaz in a strange sort of dance before he simply was let go and crashed on the floor. In between the laughter of Lost Ankh, he heard Ankh call his name. Eiji's heart sang as he heard Ankh, at least he was mostly okay. They could beat this; as long as they were together they were strong. Summoning all his strength, Eiji resisted against the wires, reaching his hand to Ankh._

_Ankh's eyes flashed as he, too, reached his hand out to the Rider. Suddenly both their ropes snapped taunt causing their arms to fly back and both men groaned in pain. "NO! NO! NO! You will not do as you wish! This is my playtime not yours!" Lost Ankh shouted at the two. Again, their ropes pulled against their limbs, causing both men to stand on their feet. "I'll show you who the true puppet master is!" _

_Eiji's hand moved on its own accord, reaching into his pocket. He felt something metal, could it be? Yes, the driver was there. He gripped it as hard as his damaged muscles would allow him. Surprisingly the hand withdrew, placing the belt around his waist, the driver clinking as the belt tightened around his waist. Neither Ankh nor Eiji complained, but kept their thoughts silent as their eyes met. If Eiji could transform into OOO, they stood a chance. Reaching into his other pocket, he pulled out three medals. T__aka, Tora, and Batta shone in his hand as he let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. It wasn't the best combination, but it would enough for what they needed. If he was lucky, Ankh might have some cores that could give him a full Combo. _

_One by one, his hands moved by an unseen master and dropped the coins in. He shifted the driver into an angled position before grabbing the scanner and running it across the medals. They let out their familiar chime. "Henshin!" Lost Ankh shouted, startling both Ankh and Eiji. Why would he willingly let Eiji transform if Eiji could easily win? Unless…_

"_**TaToBa…TaToBa TaToBa**__," Lost Ankh song along with the belt. Light surrounded Eiji as the armor fitted to his body. The red Taka helmet helped him to see in the room, but still he could not see above him. The yellow Tora chest plate helped him breathe a bit, his muscles feeling less tired from the unspeakable horrors that had happened to the rider while unconscious. Finally he felt the green Batta leggings snap around his legs, giving him the speed and agility he would need to get him and Ankh out of this mess. It felt good to be in this form again, he felt so powerful, like he could do anything. Hope blossomed in his chest as a plan started to form in his mind. The light faded and OOO stood in his battle ready position. They had a chance._

_Ankh shifted his weight, cocking his hip out in his usual fashion. "Not so impressive," Lost Ankh said, attempting to imitate Ankh's voice. The strings pulled his left arm to the sky in an overdramatic fashion. Red light surrounded his body, as he spun on one heel. His arms flared out to the side as he spun, red light concentrating on his arms and slowly sliding up, revealing the usual talons underneath. At the shoulders the circles of light joined around his chest, separated with one heading towards his feed and the other to his head. He jumped in the air, arching his back painfully as he continued his slow spin, the lights traveling over him, exposing more of his Greeed form. Finally the light flared to a painful degree, temporarily blinding Eiji with its brightness, and Ankh landed gracefully on his feet, one hand pointing at Eiji and the other on his hip. As quickly as it came, it had disappeared. Ankh was now transformed into his Greeed form, his skin now covered in red feathers with green accents. His feathery mantle was black and white but on his back, where his wings should have been, were two bloody stumps that had been grinded to nubs._

"_I see you found our little pet! He is such a naughty birdy, not staying in his cage like we told him to. So, to make sure he doesn't fly away we decided I would clip his wings!" Lost Ankh's voice whispered in Eiji's head, the memory of seeing a beaten and bloodied Ankh hanging by these strange ropes flooded his mind. The rage that filled OOO was nothing compared to the pain on Ankh's face as he struggled against the ropes. Guttural screams tried to pierce through the sealed lips, but it was lost and muffled. Hell had no fury like a Greeed scorn._

"_Now, now save your rage for the battle in front of you, you're going to need it little birdy. This tiny bug looks a lot stronger than we thing; we must stay on our toes if we hope to win. Of course we shall fight to see who the absolute best is!" Lost Ankh's voice echoed through the room. Both men tilted their heads slightly and looked towards each other. Fight in front of you? But it was only Ankh and OOO in the room…unless…_

_The strings pulled, launching OOO towards the transformed Ankh. Another string shifted, swinging OOO's leg out, kicking Ankh in the side. The Greeed grunted but now his strings pulled, swinging his fist at OOO, hitting him in the helmet, sending the Kamen Rider falling to the floor. Slowly, an unwilling OOO was dragged to his feet, the strings pulling again as he returned the punch to Ankh._

_Back and forth the two men traded blow for blow again and again. At least Eiji was able to prepare for the blows, poor Ankh was blind in this fight, relying on the manipulator to dodge the blows. The armor protected Eiji from most of the damage, but Ankh was at his weakest. Each blow OOO landed on Ankh was a blow to his own heart. No…he couldn't stop...his body kept moving on its own. Slowly, Ankh stopped fighting back, his energy was spent and his Core Medal was already so weak. Yet, their strange puppet master continued the sick brawl. _

"_Please…kill me…" Ankh mumbled through tight lips as his own blood ran down his face. He wanted the pain to stop, to end this useless fighting. OOO shook his head even as his arm punched Ankh in the cheek, cutting the wound open more. Tears poured from Eiji as he was slowly killing his best friend, and listening to Ankh's pleas for death. _

"_I…I can't Ankh!" Eiji groaned, his leg sweeping the legs out from under the wounded Greeed. His right hand reached for the Scanner at his waist._

"_**Scanning Charge**__" chimed Lost Ankh along with the belt as the scanner slid over the three cores, their chime piercing through Eiji's scream._

"_Thank Goodness…now…I can rest…" Ankh closed his strange glass eyes as he heard the familiar chant. The strings pulled Eiji into the air as he prepared to do his signature kick. Through his own screaming he heard Lost Ankh's voice deliver his attack._

"_**Seiya!**__" Lost Ankh shouted as the energy surrounded OOO was shot towards the fallen Greeed. The attack pierced right though Ankh, his screamed lost to the sound of his medals shattering into a million fragments. There, in the center of the pile, was his red Core Medal, broken in several pieces once again._

"_ANKH!" Eiji shouted as his heart shattering along with the medals on the ground. Sobs ripped from his chest as he pulled against the strings, wanting to hold Ankh, any piece of Ankh. His transformation canceled and the belt clunked heavily onto the floor. His clothes, neat and pristine, showed no signs of having just murdered his lover. Again and again he pulled against the strings, not caring about what happened to him, only needing to help Ankh. The strings resisted, pulling him into a sitting position similar to Ankh's on the chair, arms crossed over his chest, one leg over the other, and chin against his chest as his head felt heavy._

"_I guess that's enough play time for today. I wonder who we will get to play with next," Lost Ankh wondered aloud as OOO's strings finally stopped moving. He felt like he had been hung up, the strings taunt only by the weight of his own body. It was strange, black feathers and red feathers rained down from the ceiling, followed by some hushed mumbling between two voices. Eiji couldn't make it out, he was still in shock. All alone, eiji sat there on the couch as the light above suddenly blinked out. Only the floor lamp next to the couch was left on, illuminating the tiny doll house like room. Naturally, the light reflected off the pile of broken Medals in the middle of the room, especially the bright red one. There was nothing else to do but wait and stare at the remains of his dear Greeed's dead body. Slowly, the world grew black again as Eiji was lost to his own sorrow._

**-OOO-**

"Good Morning!" a sing-song voice echoed softly in his grief stricken haze. He cringed at first, waiting to hear the horrible laugh of Lost Ankh. This felt different, felt less painful emotionally. He opened his eyes, expecting to see the strange doll world that he had been forced to sit in during those lonely dark hours. Instead he saw boxes and trunks, full of clothing and props. At the foot of his bed was a pile of things with a couch ontop, it was Ankh's perch!

"Eiji? Are you awake?" the voice asked, a bit louder this time, followed by a knock on the door. Sitting up quickly, Eiji looked around the room. It wasn't the same horror stricken room where he had been forced to kill the man he loved. No, this was the attic of the Cous Coussier, and it was morning. Ankh's soft satin blanket slid down his body, pooling in his lap.

"J-Just a minute!" he shouted, patting the night stand. There, on top of the OOO Driver, was Ankh's core. Still broken, but at least it was there. _It had been a nightmare_ he told himself, chuckling as his body still shook with fear. He half-heartedly listened to Chiyoko inform him of today's theme for the restaurant as he changed his underwear into his bright green pair with the little humming birds on it.

There was still hope at reviving Ankh and Eiji would make damn sure nothing like that horrible nightmare happened.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** PHEW! What a horrible, horrible nightmare! This is actually based loosely on a recurring nightmare I had as a child. I also tend to find marionette dolls to be rather creepy. The idea for the doll fight actually came from an episode I recently watched of Kamen Rider W where the monster…well I won't spoil it for you, just know it was a good episode. Thank you all for reading this. I decided to add this to the regular story once again because it flows better. That and no one was reading it –pouts- I hope you all enjoyed this.


	4. Advice

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 4 – Advice**

**By** ManaGoddess

**Disclaimer****:** I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments. All characters from Kamen Rider are owned by the Toei Company.

**Author's Note**: Welcome back everyone! I hope that last chapter wasn't too scary for any of you. (I had the lights on while I wrote it, just to be safe) I know I said I'll only add one more chapter after the last one, but now I'm starting to get ideas on how to make this go on a little more so there should be a few more chapters. How many? As many chapters as it takes to get my ideas out. I decided to add a cameo to this, because why the heck not? I'm the author I can do whatever I want. Thank you for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy this!

****If you have not seen the OOO x W movie, there is a spoiler. I'm sorry. ****

* * *

Eiji writhed in bed, tossing and turning violently. His heart pounded as his nightmare continued to plague him. Nothing he could do would wake him from this terror, all his body would let him do is sit there and continue to be beaten and abused.

"Ankh…Ankh hold on," he muttered in his sleep, his body thrashing from side to side. "No…please stop." Tears rolled down the Rider's cheek as he pleaded with the nightmare, powerless to save the Greeed he cared about so much. He tried to reach his hand out, tried with every ounce of his will, every fiber of his being, but it just wasn't enough. His heart shattered as the nightmare continued, ripping away his hope, leaving him an empty shell of a man who finally understood what it meant to desire, and to have that desire violently snatched from you.

"Good Morning!" a singsong voice drifted up the stairs into the tiny attic, finally clawing Eiji from his horrific nightmare. The Rider sat straight up in his bed, hands flying to his face to check for the horrific body modifications from Lost Ankh. His body was covered in sweat, his heart still pounded like a beating drum, but he was alive and normal. Thank goodness. Slowly, Ankh's satin sheet fluttered into his lap, resting and covering the discombobulated Rider. _A dream…it was all a dream_ Eiji thought, both relieved by this yet saddened by feeling the loss of Ankh all over again. "Eiji, are you up?" the voice drifted once again into the room followed by a gentle knock on the door.

"J-Just a minute," Eiji said, quickly throwing the satin sheet back over the perch. Sifting through the pockets of his pants, he found clean underwear. "What is today's theme?" he called through the door, distracting the restaurant owner while he finished making himself presentable and trying to shake the fear from last night's dream.

"I'm glad you asked! I was thinking of doing a noir special today, you know, one of those old detective style movies from the 1940's in America! I asked Hina to help and she made a fantastic pinstriped suit for you. We even have a fedora! She also made the cutest outfits for her and me. Today will be exciting! I'll hang your clothes on the door," Chiyoko said followed by a metal hook clinking against the wooden door. Eiji stopped trying to put on his shirt; instead he folded it and placed it on the hastily made bed. Sighing, he waited until he heard Chiyoko downstairs before opening the door to grab the clothes on the hanger to change.

**-OOO-**

A short while later Eiji walked downstairs, stepping into a 1940's detective film. Smokey jazz music flowed through the restaurant, adding another layer to the senses, bringing you to a whole different world. The lights had been dimmed, and the booths were draped in dark fabrics giving the area a feel of days past. Chiyoko leaned her hip against the counter, arms crossed over her chest. She wore a pinstripe suit similar to Eiji's, but was a blue and white style with a fedora slanted to the side. Her hair was pulled back into a low pony tail but her lips stood out in a bright red.

"Eiji you look amazing! Hina did a great job," Chiyoko looked the rider up and down nodding in approval. His deep green pants were expertly tailored to his long body but still a bit baggy enabling him to move quickly if something were to happen. He laid his matching green jacket over the back of a chair while Chiyoko examined him, adjusting the red vest over his yellow shirt. A shoulder holster held a fake gun that looked suspiciously similar to the OOO driver, but it pulled the outfit together really well. He laughed nervously as he spun the red hat in his hand.

"Thanks, you look great too Chiyoko. I'm not sure about the hat though, it isn't me." Eiji said nervously, looking at the hat. Sure it seemed like fun and all on Chiyoko, but Eiji didn't really have the face for a fedora, or any hat for that matter.

"It takes a special kind of _hard-boiled_ man to wear that hat," a voice said from the door drawing both Chiyoko and Eiji's attention. A man stood with his back against the door jam, black pants and vest with a white striped shirt underneath and a bright red tie to distract the eye. His hat, a black fedora had a single red stripe around the base, covered part of his face, exposing only his mouth and the chin length brown hair.

"Welcome to Cous Coussier! How many," Chiyoko asked, bowing to the gentle men as other figures stood behind him. There was something oddly familiar about this gentleman that Eiji couldn't quite place his finger on. The mysterious man stepped forward, tilting his hat up slightly and placing his hand on his hip. He smiled to Chiyoko, taking her hand in his.

"My dear Owner of this restaurant, today I bring friends, four of us in total, but we would love it if you would join us," he said, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief. Chiyoko flushed at the younger man's attention as she gestured to a table nearby. Suddenly a green slipper appeared out of thin air and smacked into the back of the man's head.

"Shotaro! You will behave yourself mister! _Hard-boiled_ my foot! You…you _half-boiled_ detective!" a short girl shouted at the man, barely coming up to his shoulder. She shook the slipper at him menacingly, daring him to say something else. Her long hair was in a high side pony tail as she did her best to undermine the man she hit. "Why can't you at least PRETEND to act normal, like my darling Ryu?" She turned as a man wearing red leather walked in the door.

For a moment, the man dressed in red leather pants and a red leather jacket, made Eiji freeze. The hair was a bit wrong, but the attitude and look in his eyes could have been Ankh's. The nightmare flashed through his mind again, seeing Ankh helpless and hurt, begging Eiji to end the pain and let him rest finally. Tears threatened to break Eiji's bravado, but he held strong, giving them his best smile and shoving his hands into his pockets to hide their shake.

"I'll go get coffee," Eiji declared as Chiyoko sat the group. He stood in the kitchen, absentmindedly making the coffee, not really paying too much attention as he was elsewhere, and reliving the nightmare over and over again. Again and again he thought of ways to save Ankh, of all the things he could have done to help prevent the pain. Sure, it was only a dream, but there was something a bit more to it that Eiji couldn't shake.

Voices drifted from inside the restaurant as the small group made chit chat with Chiyoko. She had always been very good with customers, her charisma able to will anyone into a good mood. He guessed that was why he enjoyed working here so much, everyone was happy and full of smiles. Even Ankh had smiled once or twice when he thought no one was looking. Grudgingly, Eiji walked to the fridge and stared at the freezer. He was terrified to look inside and he didn't know why. He assumed what would be in there, the ice pops that Ankh had developed a fondness for after their first meeting. Chiyoko always kept a supply of them in the freezer, mostly for the customers, but Eiji knew that a few extra were ordered just in case Ankh came back. He had done it in the past, showed up unannounced and grabbed an ice cream, but that was before he died.

The door to the kitchen bumped against the wall as Chiyoko waltzed in, throwing one last laughing comment back to the group at the table. "Can you believe it Eiji? They are detectives! Look at the one in the hat, he would fit perfect with today's theme. I wonder if I can ask him to stick around for a bit and really make today pop!" She grabbed the finished coffee pot and set it on a tray while busily setting it for four people. "You should go talk to him! He says he is a _hard-boiled_ detective, but he has a soft side that shows. His partner is also…" She stopped and looked at Eiji who stood in front of the freezer with a half-smile. "I'm sure they want their coffee, you know how detectives are. I'll come back."

Eiji looked back to the freezer. Why? Why did it hurt so much? He had been working so hard with the Kougami Foundation to bring back the Core Medals. So far he had managed to bring back enough of the cores to give him a few of the Combo transformations as OOO. The one thing they had learned though was that making a Core Medal was a lot different than mending a Soul Medal. Placing his hand on his pocket, he felt the familiar outline of the broken Core. _Soon Ankh…soon I'll get you back._ Letting out a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding, Eiji fixed his tie and walked back out into the dining area, there was work to be done.

"Hello, my name is Eiji," he introduced himself, bowing slightly to the group. Four people looked up at him, two were smiling, the girl who had hit the man in the hat with her slipper and another young man wearing a blue and white striped long sleeve shirt with a duster, whereas the other two gentlemen seemed to be having a contest with each to determine who was more '_hard-boiled_' than the other. The young man in the blue striped shirt looked up at Eiji, tilting his head from side to side.

"I've seen you before…where do I know you…" he asked, tapping his bottom lip with his forefinger. The girl with the ponytail looked from Eiji to the boy who had spoken then back.

"Eh?! You know him Philip? I didn't hear anything about this!" She crossed her arms over her chest, pouting like a child. A smile slipped onto Eiji's face. It felt really good to be around people, to talk and have his mind taken off of missing his partner. The man in the hat, Shotaro, looked up at Eiji.

"You do seem familiar; did we ever solve a case for you?" Shotaro asked, leaning on the table resting his chin on his hand, seeming to search his memory for Eiji's face. The gentlemen in red even joined in the scrutiny of Eiji, causing him to feel a bit uneasy for the sudden spotlight.

"I know," the man in red said calmly, keeping his cool while everyone else seemed to be a little bothered by not recognizing Eiji. "You helped with that strange Dopant incident we had a few years ago, during our wedding," the man said, turning to the girl and smiling fondly at her. Turning back to the rest of the table, his smile was replaced by a stern facial expression; clearly he only had a soft spot for the girl. Suddenly the light turned on in their heads as recognition passed among the group.

"Oh! You're Kamen Rider Accel and W right?" Eiji asked, looking from one guy to the other. It was a strange bit of relief to see the other riders here in his restaurant today, but he would take the comfort no matter how odd. Chiyoko wondered on by, curious by the sudden cheerfulness in Eiji. With a smile, she pulled up a chair, forcing Eiji to sit down while she went to go cook their lunch orders, the air filling with idle chitchat as they waited.

"How have your travels been? Did you find what you were looking for?" Akiko asked as she ate some strange combination of ham and eggs. According to Chiyoko this would have been part of the staple diet during the 1940's, either way, it was quite delicious. Eiji shook his head, reaching into his pants and placing the broken Core in the middle.

"No. We managed to figure out how to reproduce the medals so I can transform into OOO, but we haven't figured out how to fix the soul piece yet. I'm worried that we can fix it, but not the soul inside of it," Eiji replied, running his thumb over the edge of the Core and sliding it along the broken crack. "Ouch!" he jumped a bit, looking at his thumb as a few drops of blood rolled down from a cut, landing on the core. "E-Excuse me." He stood, bowing slightly as he cradled his thumb trying to prevent more blood from dripping on the floor.

Philip looked at the Rider intently as he went to tend his wound before reaching across the table and picking up a piece of the broken Core to hold to the light. "Very interesting…" he whispered half to himself studying the strange medal. Shotaro looked at his partner, taking another bite of food.

"What is it Philip?" he asked sipping his coffee to wash down the bit. Setting his fork down he wrapped his fingers around his cup to listen. Philip had that look in his eyes that meant he was thinking very deeply on a subject and if this could help their Kamen Rider friend, and then they would take the case.

"He said this held a person's soul right? Well that's strange because there doesn't seem to be anything here. I'd understand if there was some sort of mechanical parts, like a GaiaMemory, but this is something different," Philip turned the piece once more in his fingers before handing the piece to Shotaro to inspect. Holding it up to the light he gazed at the strange symbol inside.

"We don't really understand how it works, but that is part of the mystery I suppose. Hey Philip, can you do a search for me," Shotaro asked while gingerly picking up the other piece and holding them together so the cracks fit. Philip took a calming breath and closed his eyes.

He opened them and was standing in the middle of nothing, surrounded by whiteness. "Alright ready for the keywords?" he heard Shotaro's voice inside his head. Philip smiled and held his hands out, willing the world's library to give her information. "First keyword: Soul." Bookshelves flew all around Philip, containing hundreds of thousands of books, each one involving something to do with 'soul'. "Next keyword: Greeed." A few bookcases faded into the whiteness, leaving behind nothing as if they never appeared. "Next keyword: revival." More bookcases disappeared, leaving about fifteen shelves behind.

"No good, I need more keywords." Philip said as he walked around the shelves, his fingers running over the spines of the books. The group back at the table sighed and looked at each other, then to Eiji who was manning the kitchen, making some sort of dessert for the group. He went to the freezer and pulled out a box of ice cream snacks. With a sad sort of chuckle, he placed them back in the freezer and grabbed another box of ice cream instead.

"Try adding the word: Love" Akiko said, her hand seeking Ryu's under the table. He squeezed hers in response. Shotaro tilted his head, looking at the couple, then to Eiji.

"Why would you add that? It wouldn't help the search." Shotaro said, closing his eyes as he took another sip of coffee. The infamous green slipper appeared again, slapping the detective in the back of the head. "What was that for?!" he grumbled, quickly trying to dab the coffee from his tie, it was one of his favorites after all.

"Can't you see it Shotaro? Eiji is in love with Ankh!" Akiko exclaimed, shaking the slipper at her friend. Ryu nodded as he followed the Chief's gaze to the kitchen, it was quite plain to see he was suffering from a broken heart.

"I'm glad someone else can see it," a singsong voice said as Chiyoko set the tray of desserts on the table. She passed out the bowls of ice cream to everyone. Philip was still in his trance, but she didn't say a word about it even as she set his dessert in front of him. Holding the serving tray close to her chest she turned and looked at the Rider in the kitchen as he cleaned some plates and prepared another pot of coffee. "It's always been obvious to everyone else but them. I remember when they first started falling for each other, always snapping at people and grumbling, it was hard to not laugh. It was almost magical watching their love blossom, so sweet I thought it was out of a novel or a movie. Yet, it breaks my heart to see him hurt and alone. I thought maybe he would find new love while on his adventures…" she chuckled to herself, shaking her head at the thought.

"Hino doesn't seem like that kind of person," Ryu said as he finished his ice cream and enjoyed the coffee. "I doubt he has even looked at anyone else."

"You're right. There was one person for him, and that was Ankh. We know he will come back some day, we just have to wait. My only worry is that it will be too late when Ankh does come back." Shaking her head sadly, she turned back to the table and bowed again before leaving to serve other customers. Silence fell over the table.

"I don't know what I would do if I lost Ryu…" Akiko whispered, squeezing his hand once more for comfort before laying her head on his shoulder. Pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, the red Kamen Rider looked across the table, his gaze going from Shotaro to Philip.

"I couldn't imagine losing Philip. If I remember properly, those two were a great combi, OOO and the Greeed. Ankh had saved us in the end, giving us part of him that enabled us to defeat the strange Dopant/Yummy mix." Shotaro said as he looked at the other half of his Kamen Rider and smiled fondly. "You hear that Philip, you're important to me!" He made a face at the Rider, knowing he couldn't see him.

"Only because you are useless without me and need my power," Philip retorted, entering his own keywords from the conversation that had happened around him. One by one the bookshelves disappeared until only one was left with a single book on it. He picked it up and flipped through the pages.

"Ah, what do you know," Shotaro threw his napkin at Philip, turning away from him to ignore him. A smile played on Philip's lips, someday he would confess, maybe not today, but some day, when he had a better understanding of things.

Eiji came back to the table with fresh coffee, apologizing for his absence. No one thought anything of it and Shotaro handed him back the broken Core Medals. "Take good care of those, they are important." Shotaro said, locking eyes with the other Rider, giving him his most no-nonsense look.

"I will thank you." He slipped the pieces into his pocket and bowed again.

'_Idiot. You shouldn't have left those with these guys, I don't like them.'_ a voice said in Eiji's head. He looked around the restaurant; no one looked in their direction, nor was anyone close enough to say anything. The voice had almost sounded like Ankh, but that couldn't be.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you?" he asked, his gaze going from person to person at the table. They all looked up at him confused.

"We didn't say anything Hino," Ryu Terui said, beginning to worry about Eiji. Maybe he was too lonely. Again the rider bowed to the table nervously.

"My mistake, I must have heard the wind then. Enjoy your day." He bowed yet again and turned to leave, needing a break from all these emotions welling up inside him.

"Dreams," Philip said, opening his eyes, staring straight at Eiji. "You can get him back, but it involves doing something in your dreams." Eiji didn't' dare move, didn't dare to breathe. Slowly, painfully slow, he turned to the mysterious man who was part of Kamen Rider W.

"E-Excuse me?" he asked nervously. Was his voice shaking? No, it was just…something. He didn't want to hope, couldn't hope. He had had his hopes and dreams smashed so many times he didn't want to think about going through that again.

"I said 'to get him back you have to do something in your dreams.' It wasn't very specific, maybe you have to save him. Dreams are very strange things, I might research dreams some more, they do seem to be very informative about a person. I wonder what dreams say about a person…" Philip rambled off, closing his eyes again.

"Eh wait until we get back home! I don't want to carry you home again because you are deep in your research!" Shotaro said, shaking Philip. "Hey! Philip! Wake up!" Philip's eyes opened and he glared at Shotaro for interrupting his search. Eiji laughed along with the group, but his mind was reeling in the information.

'_He's right you know. I hate to admit it, but he is.' _A voice said in Eiji's head. He turned around in the restaurant, but again he was alone and no one was around. He really was starting to lose it. The nightmare had a harsher effect on him than he realized. A nice cup of coffee might help calm his nerves; he had gotten the beans and roaster from one of his favorite cafés, The Milk Dipper.

"This…this isn't possible…" Eiji whispered to himself as he quickly walked to the bathroom. He was a mess today. Washing his face he looked in the mirror above the sink, letting the water drip down. "Get a hold of yourself Eiji, you are just tired." He nodded to his reflection, unsure if he was telling the truth, or trying to convince himself of the lie. Something red flickered above his reflection, something that looked like an arm. No, it wasn't an arm; it was a strange cross between an arm and a talon. His eyes widened, he knew that arm, how could he ever forget that talon? Turning, he looked behind himself; there was nothing there, just him in the bathroom. Looking back in the mirror he saw only his reflection. Moving this way and that, he tried to look in every corner through the mirror, but still it was only him.

"I must be tired," he laughed nervously. Seeing Ankh's arm would have been too much. Still, he patted the coin in his pocket, it was still in pieces. Eiji wasn't sure if that was reassuring or heart breaking. Hopefully tonight he would be able to get a full night sleep and not dream of being turned into some sort of creepy marionette doll, forced to fight the one you cared about. He would be okay.

**-OOO-**

The rest of the day passed by in a blur, nothing exciting happening at the restaurant. Customers came and enjoyed their 1940's diner style food along with the fun, playful atmosphere. Hina stopped by in the afternoon, wearing a stylish pinup style green dress. She really was beautiful. She had a light in her eyes when she told the customers about her clothing that she designed, forcing poor Eiji to go and model his current outfit. It didn't really bother him much; he wanted to see her smile. He couldn't tell Hina or Chiyoko that he just wanted to be left alone, that would be rude. Still, he did his best to make the day go well, mostly staying in the kitchen preparing food and making coffee.

"Thank you, have a good night," Chiyoko said as she waved goodbye to the last customers of the night. Shutting the door firmly she leaned against it and sighed. "Phew! What a day!" With her usual charming smile, she took off her hat and hung it on the wall, just as the _hard-boiled_ detective had told her to earlier in the afternoon. "Come on you two, we have to get this place ready for tomorrow!"

Grabbing a broom and retying her apron, Hina poked her head out from the closet. "Oh? What is tomorrow's theme? You asked me to make costumes but I never remember when we are having those days," Hina said as she began to carefully take down decorations, folding table cloths and putting them away to be used again for another project.

"Hmm…it's a tough choice. I can't decide between a school day and some sort of space theme! Astronauts, space ships, stars, and the moon, it would be different," Chiyoko replied, spinning in a circle with her arms stretched out, looking towards the ceiling. Eiji smiled as he cleaned the kitchen, thinking about the stars. He had to admit, it was quite charming to watch Ankh sleep in a tree, back before they had this place to live at. Even when they fought and one would leave, they would always go to that park and just look at the sky above. Stars were magical, they could grant wishes.

"I think I like the Space theme a bit more, but how could we pull off the costumes," Eiji asked, sticking his head through the little window in the kitchen that overlooked the dining area. Chiyoko and Hina looked at each other with huge smiles on their face. Something told Eiji he shouldn't have asked that this would be a mistake. Instantly the girls began to talk over each other, in fragmented sentences that made no sense to Eiji what so ever. He swore they were acting like middle school girls having a slumber party. Shaking his head, Eiji pulled his head back through the window and concentrated on getting the stuck on stuff off his favorite pan.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** I think that is enough for now, I didn't want to make this chapter too long. I have more ideas for fun stuff, with a little bit of a lighter tone than chapter 3. I also plan on rewriting a bunch of stuff…eventually. See you next time with more cameos! But first, another dream.


	5. Dreamscapes

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 5 – Dreamscapes**

By ManaGoddess

**Disclaimer****:** I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments. All characters from Kamen Rider are owned by the Toei Company.

**Author's Note**: Welcome back for chapter 5! If you are still confused about the chapter numbers, do know that chapter 3 was originally a separate story, because I felt it was a little too dark to put in the normal story, however after rereading it for the umphmillionth time, I decided to add it back into the normal story. It is an optional read though, plus I reference it a lot to try to help you understand what is going on even without reading that chapter.

This chapter is a little short today. I was planning on making a Fourze cameo, but I thought that might have made this a little too long, so I broke today's events into two sections.

I hope you are enjoying this story and thank you for sticking with me thus far. Please read and review!

Eiji laid back down on his bed, looking at the sky through his open window up in the attic of the Cous Coussier. Today had been surprisingly tiring, so he should have been able to fall asleep right as his head hit the pillow. No, he wasn't that lucky, his mind was too busy keeping him awake. To be honest, the Rider was afraid to go to sleep and was grateful for the distruction. Would he be back at that nightmare or would he just have another dream to torment his heart into thinking Ankh was back? How much longer until the Kougami Foundation would be able to bring Ankh back to life? Eiji didn't know if he had the strength or the patience to wait.

Sighing, he rolled over once again, looking over the boxes of costumes for the restaurant, his mind switching between his conversation with the Kamen Rider group from today's lunch and the nightmare. Philip had mentioned that the answer to bringing Ankh back to life could be found in his dreams. Was he supposed to go into his dreams and fight Lost Ankh? How would that help bring Ankh into the real world? It didn't make much sense, but at least it was something. That rider was a weird combi, but it reminded Eiji of himself and Ankh so much that it hurt. He hoped that he and Ankh would be that close some day. Maybe after he was revived…

Letting out yet another sigh, he rolled onto his back, looking at the ceiling, counting the planks once again. He needed to sleep, tomorrow they were supposedly hosting some high school club's meeting and he would need his strength to deal with the teens. Youth always amazed Eiji, they had so much energy and hope. It must be nice to be young and think you can take on the world. Slowly, the numbers started to drift in his head, and he lost count. Oh well, better start over. Counting them again finally gave Eiji the little bump he needed to fall asleep.

**-OOO-**

_"Tch, sleeping already? Shouldn't you be doing something important?" A voice said, pulling Eiji from his dreamless sleep. It had taken long enough for his mind to quiet enough, he just wanted to rest. Groaning, Eiji tried to roll over and go back to sleep. _

_ "Ankh, it's late, I need to sleep. Someone has to work to pay for the ice candies that you love so much," Eiji smiled to himself, knowing that Ankh would do pretty much anything to keep his supply of ice candies flowing. Besides, Eiji knew if it had been a Yummy attack, Ankh would have been MUCH more assertive. He felt the talon hand push against his shoulder, trying to wake up._

_ "Idiot. Wake up we need to talk damn it," Ankh said, his arm now shaking Eiji's other shoulder, a bit more violently. Was this man really going to sleep through this whole dream sequence? "Damn it Eiji wake up! We don't have time for this shit!" He threw the covers off Eiji and rolled him onto his back. Yawning greatly Eiji opened his eyes, and was a bit surprised to see only the arm of Ankh._

_ "Hey, where is the detective," He asked, sitting himself up on his elbows and looking around. No, the perch was empty, this was quite strange, maybe he had gone out and something had happened to the detective's body that made Ankh abandon it somewhere. Tilting his head to the side, Eiji looked back at the arm of Ankh, who was clenching and unclenching his fist, trying to calm himself before he slapped Eiji for being such so dense. If there was ever a time Ankh needed Eiji to be clear headed and on the ball, this would be it. _

_ "How should I know where the detective is? I've been dead for three years thanks to a lot of people, so don't waste this precious time!" Ankkh shouted, shaking with rage. One slap, that was all Ankh wanted, but if he did that, he might wake up Eiji and ruin their only chance to communicate. He growled slightly as he watched the haze of sleep lift from Eiji's mind and everything started to click together._

_ "ANKH!" Eiji shouted, sitting up fully and grabbing the arm. He hugged it close, grateful for this moment with Ankh. Finally, he was alive! He knew it was only a matter of time before they would be reunited once again. "Oh Ankh I've missed you so much…so has everyone else! Quick we need to get Hina, Chiyoko, and the other down her so we can celebrate." Eiji quickly threw the covers off and swung his feet off the bed, afraid to let go of Ankh's talon arm. Ankh sighed, his arm going lax._

_ "Eiji, listen to me. This is serious. I'm not alive…yet." The joy slowly drained out of Eiji's face as he held Ankh's arm. Denial was written all over Eiji's face. He was holding Ankh; he could feel him here which had to mean something. Unless… "You are dreaming, you are actually still at the Cous Coussier, in that tiny bed of yours." Shock froze Eiji, he didn't move, didn't even breathe. This couldn't be happening again. Ankh did his best to comfort Eiji with a reassuring pat on the shoulder, but it was difficult for an arm. If only he had his body._

_ "W-what? Then…this isn't real?" Tears threatened to spill over. He couldn't do this anymore, couldn't take finding hope only to have it viciously ripped away from you again and again. How many dreams had he had like this? How many nights had he imagined living with Ankh again, to see that grumpy face of his and get yelled at for doing something or another? Eiji would give anything to see the smile Ankh has when he gets a Popsicle or to even be called an idiot once again. "Why…why do you keep doing this to me?" He asked in disbelief. Ankh wasn't this cruel._

_ "Eiji, listen to me closely, we don't have a lot of time before –_he-_ comes to find me again." Eiji nodded solemnly and watched the floating arm pace the room. He wiped the tear from the corner of his eye but did his best to push his emotions back. This was serious. This didn't feel like a normal dream, he felt sort of forced here, that _something_ was holding him in this place that was between being awake and dreaming._

_ "Do you mean…" Eiji started, afraid to finish it. He wasn't sure which part was his normal nightly dreams and what had been part with Ankh. Either way he didn't want to draw unwanted attention to the dou. _

_ "Yes, my other half, that bastard. How dare he try to take me over again! Tch, I'll show him." Ankh made a fist, shaking it at the sky, daring the Lost Ankh to challenge him at this moment. "None of that matters right now. That Phillip guy was on the right track. If you want to revive me, and I would really like to be alive again, we have to do it in here." Ankh gestured to his overall surroundings._

_ "But how do we do that?" Eiji asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and watching his partner. "I mean, you are alive right now, so you should be able to wake up in the real world…right?" He asked hopefully. If this was all it took, then they would be able to do so much together. The Sakura festival was coming up, and Hino had asked him if he wanted to go with her and the rest of the group._

_ "It's not that simple. I'm not sure how we do it, but I do know it involves this dream place. I'm trapped Eiji. Enough of my soul is still in the coin for me to not completely succumb to my Lost half's will, but it's…tough." The hand visibly sighed, hanging limply in midair. "I'm tired Eiji, I just want to sleep." He chuckled softly at his own dilemma. How could one sleep in a dream? Weren't you already asleep to begin with? "I also don't have a body. I can't live off the detective forever. Hina already told me no when I asked." _

_Eiji nodded. Even though his heart told him that it would be so easy for Ankh to replace Shingo, it wouldn't be right. The detective had finally started getting his life back together after being gone for over a year. No, if they were going to bring Ankh back, they would do it right, and do it properly. They just needed to figure out HOW to do it. _

_ "Oh Anky…where are yoooouuuu?" a childish voice asked, followed by a giggle. "Come out come out where ever you are…." It said. The hand turned to Eiji, the fingers spread in surprise. Eiji's eyes widened as he heard the sounds of someone walking down the hallway outside their door. No, not now, not when they were so close! _

_ "Shit, he found us. Go Eiji, keep searching for more answers! Someone is bound to be able to help us!" Ankh shouted, pushing Eiji back against the bed, trying his best to hide him. The door to the bedroom burst open, red feathers and dust blowing inside the room, swirling around a figure in red and green feathers. Lost Ankh chuckled as he pointed at Ankh's arm._

_ "Found you! Hehe. Come now little birdy, time for you to go back into your cage. Can't have such a pretty little thing like you wondering around, you might get hurt!" He laughed again, walking slowly towards Ankh. Growly, the arm extended his talons and charged at the false Greeed. Clicking his tongue, Lost Ankh easily batted away Ankh's attack like an annoying fly, sending Ankh flying into several boxes. _

_ "Leave him alone!" Eiji shouted, jumping off the bed and standing in front of the spot where Ankh fell, trying to protect his partner with his body. "I will not let you hurt him anymore!" _

_Reaching into his pocket, Eiji hoped, prayed even, that he would find the familiar driver. His fingers brushed something metal. Thank goodness, he though thought, pulling the driver out and placing it at his waist, the familiar belt wrapping around him and clicking into place. Grabbing the three core medals, he placed the Taka, Tora, and Batta Medals in the driver, tilting it to the side. Smiling, he grabbed the OOO Scanner. Finally, he would be able to protect Ankh once again._

_ Lost Ankh laughed at the Rider, how could anyone be so silly? Flinging his talon hand out, four wires whipped through the air, wrapping around Eiji's appendages, his body was completely immobilized. Lost Ankh shook his head, wagging the talons on his hand, making the Rider move to his will. Eiji put the OOO Scanner back on the belt and took off the driver, the belt fading away like it always did. With a heavy thunk, the OOO Driver hit the floor when Eiji was forced to drop it. Panic filled Eiji's chest as resisted against the bonds. _

_ "Oh me oh my, I came to get back my naughty little birdy, but look who I found! I have missed you, my precious doll! I hope you know that I have more people to play with! We are going to have so much fun! I'll even let my birdy watch you play with the others, as long as he doesn't get jealous and try to fly away again." Lost Ankh said as he forced Eiji to slip a sort of collar around the still dazed Ankh. It was similar to a dog's collar, made from red leather that snapped snuggly around Ankh's wrist. A green chain ran from the collar to a handle which was tied securely around Lost Ankh's wrist. Ankh finally snapped out of the daze, only to be frozen with panic as he felt the familiar collar snap in place. Growling, Ankh struggled against the bonds, pulling, tugging, trying to reach the clasp with his claws, but there was nothing he could do, and he knew that._

_ "Damn you, you imposter! Damn you straight to hell! Let me go right this instant! You are not in charge of me; I am the more power piece to our puzzle!" Ankh shouted as he clawed at the chain, drying to break it with his talons. It was no good, the steel was way too strong and Ankh was way too weak. He was only partially here in this dream sequence, the rest of soul and body was fragmented and scattered._

_ "I'm so sorry Ankh, I'm trying to fight it, but he's too strong!" Eiji whispered his voice tightening as flashes from the previous nightmare plagued him. He had killed Ankh once already in these dreams, he couldn't handle doing it again. Tears threatened to spill, ruining his fake bravado. He had to think of a way to save Ankh, he just had to. His body straightened, his hand tugging on the chain attached to Ankh, pulling the Greeed closer to the fake Ankh. Finally, Ankh stopped fighting, his voice calming as a plan formed. It was risky, at least according to old, old legends, but it might be crazy enough to work. He only hoped Eiji would forgive him._

_ "You need to wake up Eiji. I can handle his little games, but you need to be at your best. You need to find a way to save both of us. We are trapped in his demented toy box and can't find a way out." Ankh said, hovering in place near Lost Ankh, not even bothering to resist anymore. He knew this game too well. He'd be forced into a body again and either placed in a cage to 'sing' a song for Lost Ankh, or he'd be made into a doll again and forced to fight. He could handle it, and maybe even manage to claw out Lost Ankh's eye again. Mentally smirking, Ankh steeled himself for what must be done. He could survive, he still had hope, buried deep in his heart, that he would be saved by Eiji. _

_ "Eiji? Eiji are you okay?" a singsong voice whispered in the air, causing everyone to look around. A light fog began to drift in through the window._

_ "No! No! No! I will not have you escape this time!" Lost Ankh shouted, tightening the bands around Eiji's arms and legs, pushing the fog back. "You will be mine! I won't let anyone take my toy away! Mine! Mine!" Lost Ankh jumped up and down, shouting some more. Hand over hand, he reeled Eiji in, pulling him close and keeping a tight grip on the wires. "You hear that?! You're mine!"_

_ "Eiji? Eiji wake up," Again the voice sung softly, but was starting to fade into the background, sounding further and further away. Something felt a bit odd, the room was beginning to fade in and out, crumbling around the edges. Was that Chiyoko he heard? No, that couldn't be right, she shouldn't be here. Eiji's head began to feel a bit fuzzy._

_ "Tch, guess I have to do this myself." The hand of Ankh caressed Eiji's cheek softly. "Forgive me Eiji," was all he said before rearing back and piercing the Rider's chest with his talons. Everything froze for a moment, nothing moving, nothing breathing, just stopped. Eiji felt very strange, for there was no pain, only a sense of emptiness. Was this what it was like to die? Had his brain produced some sort of endorphins to numb the pain instantly? Why…why had Ankh killed him? He guess it could be almost romantic in a sort of 'If-I-can't-have-him-no-one-will' sort of way. _

_ "NO!" Lost Ankh shouted as the world suddenly fractured and shattered into a million fragments, falling away to blackness. Here, Eiji floated, his body going completely limp, with a strange, aching empty hole in his chest, right where his heart had been. _

_ "Eiji," he heard his name again, but it sounded like both Chiyoko and Ankh saying it. He was tired, all he wanted to do was sleep._

**-OOO-**

Eiji gasped for air as he sat straight up in bed, startling poor Chiyoko who had been sitting on the edge trying to wake him up. His hands flew to his chest, searching for the wound over his heart. Nothing…he was perfectly healthy, no gaping hole, nothing. Feeling his cheek, Eiji realized they were wet, apparently he had been crying.

"Thank goodness you are awake! You must have been having the most awful dream!" She sat back down on the side of the bed and wrapped an arm around him in a giant hug. Giving in, Eiji leaned his head on her shoulder, hugging Chiyoko tight, letting his silent tears fall. There was silence there, neither person asking questions, just acceptance of the comfort.

"We have to save him. He is suffering, I know it," Eiji whispered, grateful that she had been there to wake him from the horrid nightmare. Chiyoko made soothing noises while rubbing his back.

"Everything will be okay, Ankh is a strong man, and he has been through worse and come out stronger for it. Have faith in him, just like he has faith in you." Giving him another big hug she squeezed his shoulders. "Alright Eiji, today is a new day, and another chance at life. We have quite the day ahead of us with a high school club coming for our Space theme."

Eiji wiped his eyes and smiled, leave it to Chiyoko to brighten anyone's mood. No matter what the situation, it was difficult to stay depressed around the restaurant owner. "What will we be wearing today? Is the shop ready?" They both stood up as Eiji looked around for the day's clothes. Hanging on the door knob appeared to be some sort of white puffy suit. Sure enough, when Chiyoko picked it up and showed him, it was an astronaut's suit, complete with a backpack to look like air tanks and proper patches for NASA. Today would be interesting indeed.

"Hina and Shingo are down stairs right now putting the finishing touches on the place. Shingo can't stay long, but he promised to give us a quick hand with setup before heading over to the police agency. He is working on a very important case!" She said, laying the costume on the bed before leaving to give him some privacy. Her voice carried downstairs as she directed someone to hang some more stars from the ceiling.

Eiji shook his head and smiled as he changed into clean underwear, bright blue with clouds and flowers on them. He liked this pair, it was quite comfortable and the blue looked nice. The costume would be a bit challenging, since it had so much padding in it, but at least there wasn't a helmet, which would have made the day much more difficult trying to communicate with the customers. Today would be fun; he was determined to make it so.

**Author's Note****: **Ended up a little longer than expected, but I like it. Please read and review. Be ready for some Fourze fun for the next chapter. Not too many spoilers, but you should probably see up to episode 16 or so, since the 2nd rider will make an appearance. Enjoy.


	6. Youth

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 6 – Youth**

**By ManaGoddess**

**Disclaimer****:** I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments. All characters from Kamen Rider are owned by the Toei Company.

**Author's Note****:** Welcome back for our sixth installment of Dreams are for Nights. Thank you so much for sticking with me this far on our strange adventure of Ankh and Eiji finding each other once again. Today's cameo is from the lovely Kamen Rider Fourze. I hope you have seen up to around episode 16 so you will at least you will know who the characters are. You don't HAVE to have seen the OOO x Fourze crossover movie, but do note this takes place after the movie (Episode 12 is when the movie happens) so there shouldn't be too many spoilers. Enjoy the show, thank you.

* * *

"Where should we go to lunch today," a tall black haired main asked, wearing a half jacket and black pants. He spun in his seat slowly, looking around the Rabbit Hutch at his best friends. Gentaro smiled at them all, he was grateful to have his friends nearby him, especially after such hard battles with the Zodiarts. "I know! How about ramen?" Several people groaned.

"Gentaro, you always want ramen," said a boy with multi-colored hair and painted nails. He closed his phone with a dramatic sigh, leaning against the table in the middle of the moonbase. "We should have something more exciting!"

"But we never actually GET ramen JK, we always end up going somewhere else," Gentaro replied, sprawling out in his chair groaning loudly. "I'm so hungry!" A girl with short brown hair closed her makeup compact and did her best to glare at Gentaro while trying to hide a smile.

"As club President, I have the final say in lunch matters," Miu said smiling confidently before opening her compact again to double check that her bangs were parted perfectly. Finishing his set on the weight bench, the football quarterback sat up and stretched.

"I could go for anything really; I am starving though after that workout. Have to keep in shape for the Powerdizer." Shun flexed his arms at Miu, who simply rolled her eyes again and turned her back to him. Men were quite simple at times.

"There is that sukiyaki restaurant not too far down the road we tried a few weeks ago, they were pretty good," a voice said from another part of the hutch followed by the clicking of keyboard keys. Kengo typed away at the computer, half listening to the lunch dispute. He had nothing against ramen, but he was kind of in the mood for something a little more exciting than ramen.

JK let out another dramatic sigh as he replied to a text. "We can never decide on what to put in the pot though, and we spend ANOTHER twenty minutes arguing before Tomoko puts something weird in it," he said, wincing as he felt the glare of the gothic girl sitting in the corner. "N-no offense Tomoko." He laughed nervously, holding his hands up in front of him in defense, trying to show he was kidding.

"I have not poisoned you all yet, so you have nothing to worry about," Tomoko replied, glaring at the group. For some reason, she didn't think it really mattered what they decided on for lunch, fate was in charge today and would make the decision for them.

"What about you Ryusei, what do you feel like for lunch," Gentaro asked, standing up and walking over to the exchange student wearing a brown uniform from his other school. Faking a smile, the second Kamen Rider shrugged meekly at the group. He didn't completely despise them, but he was tired of keeping up a happy-go-lucky appearance. If only Gentaro and Tomoko would stop looking at him as if they knew he wore the mask of a faked friendship.

"I don't know, I'm not really from around this area so I couldn't exactly say what would be good or not," Ryusei said, faking a nervous chuckle and trying to crouch down in his seat, wishing he could disappear. No, he had something to do, something very important to accomplish if he wanted to wake his friend up from the coma. Of course he couldn't tell _them_ that.

"Ahh that's not fair! You have to help decide! Tell us, what kind of food do you like," Gentaro asked, nudging Ryusei in the shoulder, causing a slight tick as his anger seeped through the mask slightly. Thankfully, Ryusei was saved by a bubbly girl holding a satellite plushie bouncing through the door into the Rabbit Hutch.

"No need to discuss lunch, I have found the PERFECT place for our Kamen Rider Club meeting," Yuki exclaimed, bursting with excitement. She couldn't believe her luck when she noticed the flyer for a restaurant having a space theme lunch the night before. Naturally she called right away to make a reservation for their large group. It would be so much fun! "I've already taken care of everything, but we have to go now so we can enjoy it! It has a space theme!" She hugged her plushie tight, the doll making a squeaking noise.

"There is no dissuading her when her heart is this set on it. Let's go guys," Miu said, closing her compact and putting it in her purse. Hopefully it wouldn't be a complete disaster like the last place the space otaku had chosen. What was supposed to be a fun lunch ended up being a three hour lecture about some satellite that was orbiting the earth at the moment. All together, the group headed out the sliding door, ready for whatever adventure laid on the other side of the locker door.

**-OOO-**

Eiji could do it, he could go downstairs and face his past without making a scene or flipping out. Dressed in the awkward space suit Hina had made for today's adventures, he descended the stairs slowly, trying to draw out the moment before he would come face to face with the man who housed Ankh's soul for a year, essentially shaping Ankh into the man he was…is…whatever. Taking a deep breath, he steeled his nerves and took that final giant step.

"Good morning everyone," he announced cheerfully, a nervous smile playing on his lips. He searched the star themed room, looking for him, for that familiar man he dreamt of night after night. There, in the corner on a ladder hanging up a few more paper stars, was a man dressed in navy pants and a white t-shirt with a black tie. His black hair was fluffy and hung a little past his ears, but it was still the same face, the face Eiji had looked at a thousand times that year, the face of the first person to steal his heart.

"Good morning Eiji," Shingo replied, waving with his free hand before finishing the star, making sure it was secure and wasn't going to fall. Satisfied with his work, he surveyed the small area, checking if any other stars needed adjustment before hoping down and moving to a new section to work on.

Eiji froze as he looked at the detective, his heart twisting a dagger into itself. He looked exactly like Ankh. Sure there were a few differences, the hair, the eyes, the cocky smile, and even their mannerisms, but deep down, there were traces of the Greeed that once possessed the detective. "Ankh" Eiji whispered, reaching his hand out slowly and taking a step towards Shingo. _No, it's not him, it is all wrong_ the voice inside his head screamed, but Eiji's heart wouldn't listen as it reached for ANY shred of Ankh it could find. _I can protect you, I promise, just don't leave me again…_his heart cried, reaching out with Eiji for the man it was trying to will into being Ankh.

"I'm glad you're up Eiji! I need you to move these boxes over there and help Hina please, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," Chiyoko interjected noticing the tense air between the rider and detective. She placed a box full of books and decorations into Eiji's arms, snapping him from his wishful daydream. Leave it to Chiyoko to know when a situation needed to be defused to avoid awkward moments between friends. Eiji was very grateful to have the bubbly restaurant owner here, she was a greater help than she knew. It often times amazed Eiji how much a smile could help a situation, even if a little bit.

"You got it," he replied taking the box in hand and walking over to Hina who was stacking some heavy looking 'moon rocks' near a corner, trying to give it a more 'private' feel for the high school group coming in. Smiling, he set the box down on the table, taking out some books and table settings, trying to make the room look more homely as well as take his mind off a certain friend's brother in the other room.

"This place is starting to look really spacey," Hina said, smiling at all the work they had done. Constellations covered the walls with a few shooting stars and planets peppered in here and there to give it that galaxy look. The floor had been transformed into a 'moon walk' with a few rocks and a grey wash color. Even the chairs had a bit of a space style as they looked like seats you would find in a rocket. Where Chiyoko found this stuff was a mystery to all, although Eiji didn't really know what was in that attic he slept in at night. He was certain Chiyoko had a magical portal somewhere that let her store all this stuff, because he never saw boxes get added to the attic. A mystery better left to those with more experience in such matters.

"You guys did a great job! These costumes are awesome as well. Although, how come my costume is the only one that has padding in it," Eiji asked, looking from his padded space suit to the simple, more casual looking astronaut jumpsuit both Hina and Chiyoko wore. It was a blue jumpsuit with a few patches on it where Eiji had a full astronaut's suit as if he was going to go for a moon walk right this moment. Hina giggled behind her hand, turning Eiji around to look at him, giggling more at his confused look.

"That's because you are the only one who can really walk around in something like that! Being OOO all the time, you are used to walking around strange costumes like that." She said, busying herself with setting the tables to seat eight people. Eiji looked down at the plate he was holding, was that really all anyone ever thought of him as, was OOO? He was a human being, a person with feelings and emotions. Chuckling to himself, he set the plate down on the table; this was what it meant to be a hero after all. People tended to forget that he was a man before he was a Kamen Rider. There was a knock on the main door, followed by a loud groan from the door as it swung open.

"Oh! You all are early! Welcome to the Cous Coussier! Right this way," they heard Chiyoko say as the door opened. Eiji and Hina turned their heads right as eight high school teens walked into the secluded corner of the restaurant, most of them wearing the same blue plaid uniform, except for two of them. A dark haired boy wore a black half jacket with black pants and a red shirt underneath that said "space is awesome!" while the other brown haired boy wore a tan uniform that appeared to be from another high school. It was quite the diverse group.

Eiji smiled to himself as he gathered the rest of the supplies to decorate the other part of the restaurant, leaving Hina to take their orders as the students filed in and took their seats. For a moment Eiji stared at the boy in the half jacket, he looked awfully familiar, he was certain he had seen him somewhere before, somewhere important. During his travels, Eiji had an opportunity to meet a lot of people, but every now and then he would be introduced to some truly remarkable person who would stick out in his memory, and he was certain this boy was one of them. Shrugging off the odd sensation, he avoided the other room where Shingo was working, hoping to hide in the kitchen for a little while.

Lost in thought, Eiji smiled to himself as he took the back entrance to the kitchen, hoping to help prepare some dishes for the group. Ah to be young, what an adventure that truly was. There had been plenty of adventures in his youth, when he was sneaking away from home, trying to help out those around the neighborhood, then those around the world. His parents had hated the fact that Eiji had left so many times, often hiring people to bring him back forcefully. Still, he would not give up those memories they made him who he was and gave him strength to reach his hand out to help another person.

Not paying attention, Eiji wasn't watching where he was going, and bumped into someone, knocking them both back a step. "Oh excuse me," he said, bowing slightly to whomever he hit, mentally scolding him for not paying attention. He needed to be more careful, someone could have gotten hurt. Looking up, his heart froze once again, his mind going completely blank. He had bumped into the one person he had been trying to avoid, Shingo.

"Don't worry about it Eiji, I was just as surprised as you were about the students showing up so early. It is really good to see kids take such an interest in space," Shingo said, smiling at the students who were all talking at once, trying to give orders to poor Hina. Eiji could only stare, his mouth moving like a fish gulping for air as he tried to give voice to all the words he wanted to say but couldn't. That smile, that soft, wistful smile belonged solely to Ankh. Never before had Eiji seen that smile on the detective, even when he was happy or excited about something. No, this was a secret smile, one that Ankh only showed Eiji when they were alone, or he thought no one was looking. Now Eiji wasn't sure if he could make it through the day without having a complete breakdown.

Noticing his friend upset, Shingo checked his watch, not really paying attention to the time, just going through the motions. "Well, looks like I need to head out, I don't want to be late for work. Good luck with today Eiji," Shingo said, patting his shell-shocked friend on the shoulder before heading towards the door. "Tell Chiyoko and Hina I'll see them later to help set up for tomorrow." That said, the detective left, closing the door behind him, giving Eiji the distance he needed but was too afraid to ask for. Someday their friendship would get back to normal. Something was bugging the Rider, something that most likely had to deal with Ankh. Eiji would never come out and say it, but Shingo knew, everyone knew, about how the Rider felt for the Greeed. Memories flashed in his mind of Ankh's adventures while using Shingo's body. A light flush crept up the detective's face as he hurried away from the restaurant to get to work.

**-OOO-**

Eiji felt like a complete asshole. It wasn't Shingo's fault that dreams of Ankh had tormented the rider at night, making him long even more for someone he couldn't have yet. He knew that _someday_ they would revive Ankh; the Kamen Rider from the future had brought the future Ankh with him when he came to the past. Together, with the help of the other riders, they had beaten Foundation X and saved the day once again, but that didn't mean Eiji had to be patient about it. He chuckled softly at the memory as he finished preparing some dishes for the Club in the next room.

Something had been bothering Eiji about the boy in the black jacket, he looked so familiar but Eiji couldn't quite place his finger on it. Thinking of the attack from Foundation X and the corrupted Kamen Rider Poseidon from the future, the final tumbler fell into place, the door Eiji needed in his memory. Leaving the half prepared meal in the kitchen, Eiji hurried into the little room where the students sat. His sudden entrance made him the center of attention, interrupting their conversation.

"E-excuse me, are you Gentaro by chance," Eiji asked, bowing politely to the group in hopes of apologizing to them for the intrusion. Everyone's eyes turned to the boy with the pompadour who stood up dramatically, pointing at Eiji.

"K-Kamen Rider OOO!" he shouted, causing everyone to turn their head at the bowing Eiji as if it was a tennis match. Gentaro rounded the table, tripping over the leg of one of the chairs but recovering gracefully to grasp the hand of Eiji, doing his usual sign of friendship, the hand shake. Eiji tried to copy the other man, a shake, a grasp, a fist bump, and then their fists bumped from above. Yes, this is what he remembered from that fight against Foundation X.

"Kamen Rider Fourze! It is good to see you again," Eiji exclaimed, patting the fellow rider on the back. The table fell silent as all eyes fell to the short haired girl who was obviously their leader. She simply shrugged and said 'Oops'. "I see you have made a lot of new friends." Eiji continued, looking around the table at the diversity of people sitting there. It made Eiji's heart smile with pride. Sterotypes were awful and caused so many rifts between people, but here in this group they had a little bit of everything from the queen to the goth to the outsider from another school. Things really had begun to change in the world as barriers were torn down between people.

"I told you, my goal is to make friends with everyone," Gentaro pounded his chest twice and pointed at Eiji again before continuing, "Students, teachers, even fellow Riders, I want to befriend them all! Come you must sit with us!" Gentaro grabbed Eiji, steering him towards the seat he had vacated and shoving poor Eiji into it. Someone else had pulled up another chair which Gentaro happily took. Going around the table, he introduced everyone. "This is our Club President, Miu, next to her is our space otaku Yuki, our resident mystic Tomoko, our transfer student Ryusei." With each introduction, the person waved or nodded at Eiji, except for the mystic girl, Tomoko; she gave Eiji a sideways look, studying something about him. Gesturing to the other side of the table, Gentaro continued the introductions. "Over here we have the brains of our team Kengo, the brawns of our team Shun, and on the end is our information broker, JK!"

This was a lot for Eiji to take in. Thankfully he didn't have to do the handshake with all of them since it appeared that doing it with Gentaro was enough. Not that he minded of course, it was good to make new friends, even strange ones. It still felt a bit weird to be the center of attention for the students. It was one thing when he was transformed into OOO and people looked at him, but this was different, they were seeing the real him, or at least the front he put up at the moment.

"You're a Kamen Rider, just like Gen," The girl with the Hayabusa plushie, Yuki asked. "How does yours work? Is it switches and cosmic energy like Fourze? Do you go into space as well?" She was practically bubbling with excitement at meeting another Kamen Rider. Miu simply rolled her eyes before going back to her cell phone while everyone else groaned at her bubbliness. It was refreshing to see such joy amongst the Cous Coussier, but this was a bit much for Eiji after such an awkward confrontation with Shingo.

"I-I really should be getting back to work," He said nervously as he stood up awkwardly in the space suit, hoping to make an escape as he heard the door open and Chiyoko welcome more people to the restaurant. He didn't really mind answering their questions, but he couldn't leave Hina and Chiyoko all by themselves out there.

"Nonsense! You can sit right there and enjoy your friends. It's not every day you get so many visitors," A singsong voice chimed in as Chiyoko walked in carrying a tray of what appeared to be packages of different freeze-dried astronaut food. The poor club, Eiji was pretty sure Yuki was going to explode with delight as she rambled on about the different foods and textures as the club opened their food hesitantly. "It's slow right now Eiji, so you can take a break. I'll come and get you if I need you." She forced Eiji to sit back down in the chair, the suit making a poof noise as the fluff in it compressed a bit.

Trapped by the kind heart of Chiyoko, Eiji spent the next thirty minutes telling the enthralled group about how he became Kamen Rider OOO and the Greeed he had fought alongside Ankh. He tried to not talk about his partner, wanting to avoid as many questions as possible about why someone from the enemy's team would help the person trying to destroy his race. Thankfully, the group was kind enough to not ask too much about it, but the boy on the end, Ryusei, seemed to have started looking at Eiji in a new light. Eiji couldn't quiet explain it, but he no longer felt any hostilities from the exchange student. The only other person, who gave him different looks, was Tomoko, who would switch from typing on her iPad to looking at him sideways, as if seeing something much deeper than what he was saying.

"And that was when we met up with you, Gentaro, to help get you defeat Foundation X. It was quite a unique experience, going to the atmosphere like that," Eiji said, leaning back in his chair as best he could to look at the star filled ceiling. It had been a weird fight, but they had saved the day in the end, destroying the future cores and giving hope to Kamen Rider Aqua. He wondered if this was how Ryotaro and Kotaro felt when they became Kamen Rider Den-O to save time.

"You have a unique aura around you," someone whispered, startling Eiji and Gentaro at the table. Looking around, Tomoko stood behind the riders, her eyes glowing in the dim light as she held her iPad close to her chest, a sneaky smile playing on her lips. "In fact, Mr. Eiji, you have two auras. Your main aura is colorful and loving, but there is a strange red aura surrounding your pocket. Why? I must know." She prodded him in the shoulder with her finger, managing to get between the pads in the space suit to drive her point home.

"She's going to curse him," JK said at the end of the table, hiding behind the football player Shun. This time Ryusei rolled his eyes while everyone else seemed to back away from the gothic girl. Of course Eiji didn't believe in that stuff, but it never hurt to humor someone who did. Reaching into his pocket he showed her the two halves of Ankh's broken core.

"Is that…" Kengo started to ask, discreetly setting his large briefcase on the table, which turned out to be a giant laptop connected to their base on the moon, the Rabbit Hutch. He typed in some data while looking over Eiji's arm at the Core's pieces.

"It's Ankh's core, his soul I guess you could call it. I don't know how to fix it sadly, I fear his soul is lost forever," Eiji said softly, finally voicing his biggest fear, that Ankh was truly lost. Emotions threatening to swell and spill over his carefully placed dam, ruining his carefully placed bravado. Each day was becoming hard and harder to get through, even if he did have hope. Tomoko quickly plucked it out of his hand, examining them closely in the light.

"His soul is here, but it is not here at the same time," she said, placing her iPad on the table to get a better look at the Core with Kengo. Everyone tried to discreetly inch away from the iPad as if it was a venomous snake that would kill them all. Eiji was afraid to breathe. Not because the girl was spooky or anything, he had dealt with much stranger folk on his journeys, but because he was afraid to hope. For the second time in two days, someone had tried to give him a clue about how to bring back Ankh. This was too much of a coincidence for Eiji. She was just a teen anyhow, what would she know about this sort of thing?

"What do you mean? That is his subconscious core," Eiji said, grateful his voice didn't crack with the pent up emotion he was holding back. The group watched Tomoko curiously as she fit the pieces together, turning it this way and that. Kengo still typed away in his computer, confused by the data scans. According to the computer, it was empty, like a switch that had no cosmic energy readings.

"He is lost at the moment. Lost somewhere deep within himself, torn between two different voids. He needs someone to go and fetch him back. Until then, he will wonder as a half being," she said, placing the broken Medal in a speechless Eiji's hand. She picked up her iPad, flicking it awake then changing a few screens before turning it to show Eiji. On the screen was a strange image of a Greek man playing a lute. The gentleman in the picture was looking over his shoulder to see a beautiful woman in a long white dress being sucked into the darkness by swirling smoke, pulling her back into a black cave with skulls and demons waiting for her. Eiji felt his heart beat faster as everyone else crowded around to see the picture. It was rare that Tomoko let anyone see what was on her iPad.

"Hey Tomoko, that's kind of scary looking, what is it," Yuki asked, hiding behind Miu as she looked over everyone's shoulder at the strange image. She was grateful when she saw JK hiding behind Gentaro, at least she wasn't the only one made uncomfortable by it.

"Isn't that the story of Orpheus," Miu asked, tilting her head to the side and resting her chin on her fist. She had studied Greek mythology quite a bit in school, but was confused as to why it would matter now.

"Who is Orpheus? Why does that name sound familiar…" Shun asked, tapping his bottom lip with his finger, the name sounding very familiar but escaping the football star. Several members of the group shuffled a bit, looking at each other waiting for someone to remind them of who it was. Even Miu was having a problem remembering his story fully.

"Orpheus was a man who could charm anyone with his Lute. One day his wife, Eurydice, is killed by a nest of vipers that bite her heel. Heartbroken, Orpheus travels to the Underworld, using his Lute to charm Hades and Persephone to let him have his wife's soul back. They agree, only if he can walk all the way out of the Underworld without looking back. Along the way he is tormented by spirits of the dead, but he doesn't falter until the end. He is just about to step outside when he looks back to check on her. Sure enough, her soul is dragged back down for all eternity," Ryusei said, breaking his usual silence and casting aside his fake smile. For that moment, while looking at the picture, he was the true Ryusei. Everyone was silent as laughter from the other tables in the restaurant slowly drifted into the secluded area. Noticing he was the center of attention again, Ryusei laughed nervously before stepping back, trying to hide again behind his fake mask of friendship.

"But…what does that have to do with Eiji and reviving Ankh," Gentaro asked, his voice barely above a whisper. The group stared at Tomoko who shrugged and returned to her seat to eat.

"I'm not sure, it is just a feeling I had. I hope it can be helpful," she replied, drinking her tea from a strange 'astronaut' style bag.

"Ooo spooky! I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry! Let's eat," JK said cheerfully, trying to push out the looming silence that seemed to have blanketed their lunch date. Today was supposed to be about fun and enjoying space as well as formulating a plan about how to deal with the Zodiarts. It was time to get the group back on track.

"Kengo, what did you find out about that new switch," Miu asked, returning to her seat as well and looking curiously at her food. She would have much rather had this strange thing called 'ramen' that everyone was talking about earlier. This was the last time she let Yuki decide on lunch without her okay on it, she would make that a rule when they got back to the Rabbit Hutch. Kengo typed away at his strange laptop briefcase, grateful for the distraction. Numbers and figures flew across the screen as well as a strange switch diagramed on the side with information about its possible use.

"Number 30 and 31 are definitely interesting, I think they might be a special statis switch like Fire and Elec. I'm not sure though, I need to do some more testing on it," Kengo stated, his eyes absorbing all the data on the screen that made no sense to Eiji or anyone else there really. His eyes flickered to Eiji, hoping that they weren't being too rude by changing the subject away from the rider.

"Eiji, I'm sorry to cut your meal short, but could you give me a hand out here? Hina has to go to class soon," Chiyoko's sing song voice said as she popped her head around the corner. She really was the master of defusing awkward situations. "Also I need you to stop by the Milk Dipper tomorrow morning before we open to get us some more coffee and to return the roaster and grinder the Owner was nice enough to let us borrow." She added on at the end, disappearing again to help another customer. Pocketing the broken Core once again, Eiji waved goodbye to the Kamen Rider Club, smiling at their youth.

Before he had gotten too far, someone had grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. Gentaro stood eye to eye with Eiji, placing both his hands on the older rider's shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "We'll get your friend back, I promise. If there is anything we can do to help, let us know. I plan on making friends with every rider, even those who are just there to support the riders, so we need to have Ankh back!" Gentaro said his face full of seriousness and determination. Smiling, Eiji nodded, finally letting go of the fear that refused to let him hope. There was a chance, he had two pieces of a puzzle and he just needed to figure out how to get them to fit together. They did Gentaro's handshake one last time before Eiji had to go to the kitchen to help Chiyoko.

**-OOO-**

Once Gentaro sat back down, the group looked at each other, smiling and giggling a bit. JK bit his finger then looked back to where the other Rider had disappeared to, making sure he was well out of earshot. "He really is smitten isn't he," he asked the group, giggling into his hand a bit.

Miu nodded her head, crossing her arms over her chest and giving that no-nonsense look of hers. "There must have been a bit more than just a 'partnership' going on in that combi," she said, smirking. "I wonder if they both know it or not." Yuki flailed with delight, squealing in girlish delight.

"You should have seen how well they worked together during the fight against Foundation X, it was so impressive! Kengo, we have to work on our Combi if we ever hope to be like them or like that other rider who helped us out. What was his name again? Triple? Excel? Ah! Double! Kamen Rider W," Gentaro said, proud at himself for remembering.

"Did you see how his eyes lit up when he talked about seeing Ankh from the Future? I have never seen such devotion before!" Yuki said, shaking a slightly annoyed Tomoko in her excitement. Ryusei looked away for a moment, pulling off his mask of a pretend smile.

_'I know that kind of devotion, that's why I'm here,'_ Ryusei thought silently to himself before sliding the metaphorical mask back on and turning back to the group. "I really do hope he can get his partner back," he said aloud to the group.

"I couldn't imagine Fourze without you guys here to help me, must be tough losing a friend like that," Gentaro said, sniffling at such an honest display of emotion from Eiji, he always had been sympathetic to other people's emotions, often times mimicking their feelings.

"I know you couldn't handle as much without us, that's for sure! No one can pilot the Powerdizer like I can," Shun said, puffing his chest out to make himself seem bigger and pounding on it like a caveman. They had witnessed both Miu and Kengo's attempts at piloting the heavy machine, neither had the strength or the stamina to make it work like Shun did. At least it made him important.

"All of you would be lost without me, just remember that," Kengo said, eyes never leaving the screen as he typed away at his computer. Six napkins flew across the table, hitting Kengo in the face and covering his screen. He didn't move for a moment, before the entire table burst into laughter. Even Ryusei let out a little snicker at the groups antics as they all started to talk at once about this and that. Only himself and Tomoko sat on the sidelines, watching the show unfold at the table.

**-OOO-**

Eiji was positive the rest of the day, happy to help customers and answer their questions about the day's theme. He didn't even mind doing the dishes at the end of the night while Chiyoko was left to mop the front of the restaurant. Oddly enough, it hard to shake the feeling of unease that told him this was going to be much harder than he originally thought it would be. Even the Kougami Foundation, which had sponsored OOO and helped with a lot of new gadgets along the way, was having a hard time trying to bring the Core back to life. Sure, they were working on making a 'host body' for the Greeed while Eiji traveled the world, gathering data on how to mend the Core, but he wasn't sure how everything would fit together.

Dreams and Orpheus, those were his clues to bringing back Ankh back. Maybe he had to dream about rescuing Ankh in order to help him, but how could he do that? It was hard enough trying to sleep and have a NORMAL dream without something turning it into a nightmare. There just had to be something more that he was missing, another piece to the grand picture. Maybe he was standing to close to see it clearly.

Finishing the last of the dishes, Eiji surveyed the kitchen. There was an extra package of 'astronaut ice cream' left on the counter, set aside with a note that said 'do not eat' in a girl's handwriting. He knew Chiyoko or Hina had set it aside for Ankh, for when he returned someday. Someone else had faith that Eiji would be able to bring back Ankh soon which was more comforting than he would admit. He could do this; he had courage as well as hope, and the support of friends and family as well.

"Hold on a little longer Ankh, I'll save you soon," Eiji said to the wind, his eyes on the little package of freeze-dried ice cream that was carefully set aside. If he listened hard enough, Eiji could have sworn he heard Ankh's voice call him an idiot.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Phew! What a chapter. Turned out a bit longer than I thought, but there is nothing wrong with that now is there? I don't know why I was having so much trouble with this chapter, for some reason I couldn't get the Kamen Rider club to act the way I wanted them to. The hardest part was getting them through the door to begin with. I had some help from Green Phantom Queen though, so I'm very grateful for that. In case you are curious, Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish, of soup or stew type, prepared and served in the nabemono (Japanese hot pot) style. Thank you, Wikipedia.

Next chapter here we come! Be ready for another dream and a Den-O cameo! Shouldn't have too many spoilers, you just need to know the basic story of Ryotaro, his sister Airi, and know who Sakurai is. Hopefully you've seen up to episode 18 to understand what is fully going on. I won't spoil anything major, I promise. Please Review! Thank you for reading.


	7. Replacement

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 7 – Replacement**

**By ManaGoddess**

**Disclaimer****:** I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments.

**Author's Note****:** Here we are in part 7 of my fantastic journey with Ankh and Eiji. No cameo's today. Just like last time, I had planned on making some more cameos, but then I got to brain storming with my fantastic partner in crime, Green Phantom Queen, and came up with a lot of new ideas. Instead of just telling you them, I decided to try and show you instead. Sure the beginning chapters might seem a little wonky, but I will someday go back and fix them to fit the storyline a little better. Enjoy the show folks, review if you don't mind.

***Beware: there is quite a bit of cursing in this chapter***

* * *

Eiji was scared to sleep, terrified of the nightmares that had plagued the rider for the past week. Would he see Ankh in these dreams? Would it be just a normal dream or would it be one of those strange dreamscapes that he had experienced last night? It didn't matter; Eiji was still scared of it being either. A smile played on Eiji's lips as he remembered complaining as a child about not having fun and vivid dreams like one of his friends. Oh how he regretted those words now. He guessed it probably wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't dreaming about his partner being tortured and killed. A shiver slid down his spine, sending goose bumps all over his body as he imagined for the thousandth time that day, what horrors Lost Ankh was putting Ankh though. Being made into a doll was scary enough, but who knew what new 'playtime ideas' the Greeed had up his sleeve for his other half.

Leaning back against the headboard of his tiny bed, Eiji looked out the open window to the streets below, fighting off the rest his body desperately needed. Today had been a long day in the restaurant, especially after the kids from the Kamen Rider Club left. They were very nice and didn't require very much, but after they left the rest of the world decided to come visit the restaurant. It was great having all that business and meeting new people, but it was still very tiring for Eiji and the rest of the crew. Having Hina there was a big help and thankfully Shingo didn't come back to assist.

Eiji truly did feel bad about that. It wasn't Shingo's fault that Eiji was taking out his aggression and heartache out on the detective. There was just nowhere else for Eiji to direct these feelings. It was hard enough keeping them locked up inside of him, but when he looked at the Detective, all he could do was yearn more for Ankh. Tomorrow Eiji would apologize to the detective for being so rude the last few days. Hell, Eiji might even offer to take him to lunch as an apology. The detective had a thing for coffee; so many Eiji would pick some up from the Milk Dipper when he dropped off the borrowed coffee grinder. Yes, that sounded like a good plan and a nice I'm-sorry-I-keep-treating-you-like-shit-because-yo u-look-like-my-deceseased-partner gesture. Feeling a bit better about his tomorrow, Eiji finally laid down properly in his bed and let his mind wonder as he drifted to sleep.

**_-OOO-_**

_It was warm out today, a bit warmer than usual, but it was still very pleasant. Eiji stretched greatly as he made his bed, his eyes scanning the alley behind the Cous Coussier for…anything really. He was looking for something, waiting for someone, but he wasn't quite sure who. Ignoring the strange nagging feeling that he was forgetting something very important, Eiji fluffed his pillows one last time before heading downstairs and out the door to run a few errands for the restaurant._

_ As Eiji walked down the alley beside the Cous Coussier, he noticed someone walking the other direction, heading towards him. Being polite, and that the alley wasn't really designed for two people to walk abreast in it, he stepped to the side and let the person pass. As they approached, his heart began to pound in his chest. That familiar walk, that outfit of red pants, black jacket with one red sleeve over a red t-shirt…no that couldn't be him…he was…_

_ Ankh approached Eiji, his eyes ahead, not even glancing at the Rider. In fact, Ankh made no notion that he had even noticed Eiji standing there, gaping at him like a love sick school girl. There was a strange blankness to his face, not just his emotions, but his eyes, they appeared to be vacant. A nervous smile spread across Eiji's face as Ankh passed by him, not acknowledging the rider, even going so far as to step AROUND Eiji and continuing down the alley. Instantly Eiji's heart began to sink as fear crept up his spine._

_ "Ankh! Ankh wait," Eiji shouted turning and walking after the Greeed. He grabbed Ankh from behind, wrapping his arms around the Greeed and pulling his body close to Eiji's. It felt so wonderful to hold Ankh like this again. "Ankh…you're back…I've…I've…" he choked back the tears that stung his throat. His heart had been through so much, he truly needed this moment._

_Something wasn't quite right Eiji noticed. The Greeed stood there, not moving, not returning the embrace or anything; he was stiff as a board. Why wasn't the Greeed hugging him back, or at least holding onto Eiji's arms like they usually did in this kind of embrace? Eiji knew Ankh sometimes didn't approve of their affection in public, but it had been so long since they had seen each other, surly he could let his guard down once. Sneaking a quick glance behind them, the alley was empty in both directions, no one would see them._

_ "What is...Ankh?" The Greeed asked slowly his voice flat and monotone as he faced the opened alleyway ahead. Eiji stepped back, turning Ankh to look him in the face, tears threatening to roll down Eiji's cheeks. No, not again, this couldn't be happening again. A nervous laugh escaped the Rider; Ankh must have been playing some kind of joke, trying to make Eiji feel bad about abandoning him to his own fate with Lost Greeed. He even chose to ignore the strange sand that seemed to be floating from behind Ankh._

_ "Don't be silly Ankh, that is your name," His voice broke a little as he tried to steel his nerves, his eyes shining in the sunlight with unshed tears. Still, Eiji tried to force laughter to lighten the mood. Letting go, Eiji ran his hand through his disheveled hair, smiling nervously at Ankh, playing along with the cruel joke._

_ "Is that my name? Interesting, I wasn't quite sure what to call myself," He replied, his voice still in that flat, dead tone. It was strange that his voice didn't have any of his usual cockiness that accompanied the Greeed. Ankh titled his head slightly at Eiji, his eyes searching the rider's face. "What do they call you? Are you also Ankh?" The question stumped Eiji, silencing him for a moment, his bravado cracking slightly. After a long moment of silence, Eiji chuckled, playfully punching the confused Ankh in the shoulder, this time noticing the strange sand that seemed to flutter in the wind from the playful punch. Why was Ankh covered in sand? One problem at a time, Eiji thought._

_ "You know who I am! I'm Eiji! You are acting quite strange today Ankh. Doesn't matter, would you like to join me, I'm about to head to the market? I'll buy you some of your favorite ice candies." Eiji hooked his arm around Ankh's, who simply looked at their joined arms as if it was a new creation. Tilting his head the other way Ankh blinked his brown eyes, looking from the contact to Eiji's eyes and tilting his head once again._

_ "What are 'ice candies'? I'm not sure I know what that is." Ankh said, pronouncing 'ice candies' very slowly, mimicking how Eiji had said it. Eiji watched Ankh very carefully, waiting for the Greeed to call him an idiot or something for believing him, telling Eiji he now owed him two ice candies or ANYTHING. Yet the blond man just kept staring at rider, waiting for the answer to his question. He seemed physically alright, no creepy stitching or doll makeup, not even a sign that he had been held captive by Lost Ankh. The only out of the normal thing was the strange sand that was falling from his clothing. Somehow his mind had suffered, suffered something horrible. The last string of Eij's bravado snapped._

_ "What…what happened? Why are you doing this?" Eiji asked, unsure if he was asking about the cruel joke or the strange sand. The Greeed simply shrugged his shoulders before turning away, pulling his arm away from Eiji's and leaving his former partner with so many more questions than he had answers to. Ankh took a few steps forward, talking as he walked._

_ "I don't know. I have a strange desire to figure out who I am, even though I don't know what 'desire' really is. Something is telling me to say, 'good luck with your quest' but I don't know what that means." Ankh stopped as he approached the exit, looking down at the arm that had been linked with Eiji and touching his chest with it. He turned to the rider, curiosity and confusing clashing in his mind. "What was that thing you did to me?" Eiji looked up, emotions swirling in his body, threatening to overtake him._

_ "You mean the hug?" He asked, smiling sadly to himself. Leave it to Ankh to ask such strange questions about humans and emotions. He had returned to being a full Greeed, but this time with no memory. He was whole again, but missing key parts. There were traces of Ankh in there; at least he hoped there was and that he wasn't just making it up to soothe his already wounded heart._

_ "A 'hug' huh? That was…nice I think. I shall remember that." Ankh turned back around, looking down the street, wondering which way to head to find his self. He wondered if anyone else ever went on journeys like this, surely someone knew where to go. He took one step before stopping again tilting his head towards the other end of the alley. "I hear…the sounds of metal coins falling…how strange." Shrugging, the Greeed rounded the corner and out of Eiji's view, a strange trail of sand floating from him as disappeared from sight._

_ "ANKH!" Eiji shouted, taking a step after him, but someone's scream followed by a bone sickening crunch coming from behind him, stopped Eiji. No, he would chase after Ankh later; right now he needed to take care of the Yummy. Turning away from his beloved Greeed, Eiji took off down the opposite direction Ankh had gone, placing the OOO driver around his waist as he ran, digging the three Medals from his pocket._

_**-OOO-**_

_ Even without Ankh to guide him to the Yummy, Eiji was able to find the terrorizing monster. Sliding to a halt, Eiji looked at the scene playing out in front of him. Tables had been over turned, remnants of people's lunches thrown about, and a lot of people running for safety. In the middle of the disturbance, was a strange blue and yellow macaw Yummy screeching and attacking the humans. Panic filled Eiji's heart as he recognized the monster, a bird type Yummy he had defeated once before. It made no sense though, only a bird type Greeed could create a bird Yummy, and the only bird type Greeed was… _

_ "Leave them alone!" Eiji shouted, charging towards the bird and ignoring the train of thought his mind was on. He ignored the nagging in his mind that Ankh had made this, praying that this was just some kind of strange trick from another organization or fatigue finally catching up with him. Tilting the driver belt to an angle, he slid the OOO Scanner over the three cores, shouting "HENSHIN!" Light surrounded him as three rings circled his body, one red, one yellow, and one green. _

_**"Taka! Tora! Batta! TaToBa! TaToBa TaToBa!**__" the belt sang as he transformed into his base form, the TaToBa form with a red helmet, a yellow chest piece, and green legs. The yellow Tora icon in his chest glowed bright yellow as the claws on his hands extended. Crouching, he jumped at the Macaw Yummy, slashing it with the claws. The bird screeched, taking flight and kicking Eiji in the chest, sending him backwards. Again, Eiji jumped at the bird, swiping it with his claws, only to be avoided by the Yummy's gift of flight. _

_ "Damn it! I need Ankh!" Eiji shouted, all the combinations of cores running through his mind. There were too many choices, which one would be the best? He needed Ankh, he really did. Hina had been helpful once or twice, but no one knew how to fight these Yummy better than the one who could create them._

_ "Here! Use this!" A small voice said behind Eiji. Dodging a fireball that the bird spit at him, Eiji looked behind to see the child version of Lost Ankh standing there, holding two coins in his hand. In the other hand, Lost Ankh held the book containing their collection of core medals. Dodging another fireball, Eiji held his hand out for the Cores. Lost Ankh threw it with surprising accuracy for a kid, landing perfectly in Eiji's hand. Opening his hand, Eiji's eyes widened as two red cores sparkled in the sunlight, Kujaku and Condor, Ankh's cores. _

_ "How did you…" Eiji started to ask, but another fireball from the Yummy drew his attention. He needed to focus or else he wouldn't survive this. If he survived this, he could start questioning the kid who had tormented his dreams for the last week. He had quite a few choice words for the Greeed. Rolling to his feet, He took out the Tora and Batta cores and inserted the Kajuka and Condor medals, sliding the OOO Scanner over them again, listening to the familiar chimes._

_ "__**Taka! Kujaku! Condor! TaJaDor"**__ The belt chimed as thee red circles appeared around him, changing him to his all red form, TaJaDor. Power surged through him as he felt the familiar armor protect him. Memories of Ankh flooded his mind, memories of fighting together the different Yummy's and saving the world. He used the power of these memories and emotions in the fight. He needed to let of steam, and this Yummy would bear the brunt of his emotions. _

_ "Watch out!" Lost Ankh shouted, holding the book close to his chest, pointing to the Yummy who took to the sky. Shaking the memories from his mind and pushing the pain aside, Eiji released the breath he didn't realize he was holding, and took to the sky himself, enjoying the strange sensation of flying. _

_ They locked in an aerial battle, talons slashing at each other, fists throwing punches at one another, fireballs exploding in the air as they countered the attacks. Eiji kicked the bird in the stomach, sending them both apart. Aiming his arm, he shot several fireballs from the Taja Spinner. The bird laughed, countering Eiji's attack with his own fireball. They swirled around each other, throwing fire and kicks at one another, locked in a stalemate. _

_ "I need something else! Fighting fire with fire won't work!" Eiji shouted, getting kicked in the stomach and falling to the ground in a tailspin. Slamming into some tables, Eiji slowly regained his balance, shaking off the dizziness. He looked to Lost Ankh who was staring at the cores in the book in confusion, overwhelmed by the sheer number of combos they could do. "Come on! If you want to play that part then play it right!" Eiji held his hand out, waiting for the Medals to be thrown to him. _

_ Lost Ankh began to panic a bit. He remembered that the TaJaDor was OOO's most powerful form, so it should have been able to beat this silly Yummy. Of course he hadn't thought about fire not being able to overpower fire. Well, there was a reason they kept all the other cores, so he just needed to find the right combination. His heart pounded as his eyes flashed to the fight ahead of him, OOO and the Macaw Yummy locked in a fight, both searching for the other's weakness._

_ "Come on KoAnkh…you can do this," Lost Ankh said aloud to himself, looking through the book once again, his body shaking a little under the stress, his chest pounding so hard he swore everyone could hear it. The Yummy was too fast for any of the Gatakiriba combi, they needed something that could keep the Yummy still yet was good against fire attacks. "I've got it!" He pulled three medals out of the book. "Here!" Lost Ankh shouted, tossing three blue cores to Eiji. Kicking the bird Yummy away, Eiji dove from the sky to catch the cores, landing and swapping them out._

_**"Shachi, Unagi, Tako! Sha Sha Sha Shauta! Sha Sha Sha Shauta!"**__ the belt chimed as Eiji slid the OOO Scanner over it yet again. Three blue cores surrounded OOO, deflecting another barrage of fireballs from the bird Yummy. Blue light surrounded OOO as he was transformed into his Shauta water form. _

_ "This will do perfect," Eiji smiled, releasing the electrical whips in his arms. They slashed against the ground, sending up a small wave of water from each, crackling in the air. The bird screeched, cowering away from the electric water. Twirling to dodge more fireballs, Eiji cracked the whips again, circling them around the Bird Yummy to hold him tight. Jumping high in the air, he flipped backwards. Still holding tight onto the Macaw, his tentacle legs sprouted from his body, circling his legs like a drill. Reeling in the Yummy, Eiji prepared for his signature Rider Kick._

_ "Seiya!" Eiji screamed, piercing the bird with the drill like legs, shocking it with the electricity as well. The Yummy let out a horrified scream before exploding into a pile of Medal, Eiji landing behind what was left of the Yummy. Letting out a tired breath, Eiji released the driver, letting the belt and armor disappear. Thankfully no one was hurt in this surprise attack. There was a gentle tug on his sleeve. Lost Ankh looked up at Eiji, excited and bouncing from one foot to the other._

_ "You did it OOO! See, we make an awesome Combi!" Lost Ankh said, smiling as he held onto Eiji's sleeve with one hand, the other holding the core book close to his chest. Kneeling, Eiji grabbed Lost Ankh by the shoulders, shaking him._

_ "What were you thinking?! You could have gotten yourself hurt, or the other people hurt! You are too young to be of any help to me!" Standing he scoffed at the younger Greeed. "I need Ankh, he is my only partner. It's unlike you to be helping out the person who helped kill you." Turning his back to the Greeed, he started to walk away, oblivious to the tears streaming down the angry boy's face._

_ "You're all the same, just because I'm little…it doesn't mean I'm useless…" he screamed at Eiji, sniffling as he wiped away the torrent of tears rolling down his cheeks. "I proved to you I could help! And…and you just abandon me…like everyone else!" He threw the book at Eiji, a few cores popping out and bouncing off the floor. Turning, Eiji calmly picked up the cores, setting them back in their proper place. _

_ "You are a child, you don't belong on the battle field, you should be home with your parents," Lost Ankh scoffed at such an absurd thought. Didn't this human know anything about Greeeds?_

_ "I'm a Greeed, I have no parents. I was abandoned here after waking up." Standing, Eiji walked over to the crying boy and placed his hand on the child's shoulder. He wasn't quite sure how to deal with the kid. At least he wasn't in his Greeed form._

_ "You shouldn't be out here. Why aren't you still with Ankh? I thought you two had fused back into one." Eiji was slightly confused as to why the boy was here, since he remembered Ankh and Lost Ankh combining and fusing back together. When all the Greeeds had been sealed many years ago, only half of Ankh had been sealed, the other half gained sentience and set out with the goal of becoming whole again._

_ "You don't understand!" Lost Ankh shouted, stomping his foot to prove his anger. Pushing Eiji back, causing the rider to fall on his butt, Lost Ankh stomped around the area, frustrated. "Everyone thinks we are one person, two faces of the same coin, but we aren't'!" He stopped, facing the Rider and placing his hand over his own heart. "We are two beings who share one body…I'm just as much alive as he is…" he mumbled, wiping away more tears as he finally succumbed to the sorrow inside him, squatting on the ground crying. _

_ Eiji walked over, confused as the child Ankh was crying. They weren't two faces of the same coin, but two separate beings? How did that work? The child looked so innocent right now, lost just as his name suggested. Squatting down so he was eyelevel with the child, Eiji rubbed his back gently. _

_ "Don't cry, what do you mean you aren't the same person as Ankh? I thought your goal was to absorb him and become whole. Hey, it's alright Lost Ankh." Growling just as his adult form did, Ankh pushed Eiji away, standing above the Rider, shaking with fury._

_ "My name isn't Lost Ankh! I've decided its KoAnkh!" He shouted, his tiny arms shaking in rage. "I just wanted to be a normal person, like Ankh is. I never wanted to hurt anyone, that's what Dr. Miki and the others told me to do, they told me the only way I could be human like them…" he trailed off, wiping the tears away once again. "And now the black bird yummy is telling me I need to kill Ankh if I want to escape being eaten." He sat on the ground, hugging his knees close to his chest as he cried on them._

_ "L-Listen, Los…I mean KoAnkh, what do you mean by 'getting eaten'? Who is this 'black bird Yummy'?" Eiji sat up, not really sure how to handle the sobbing kid. He wished Chiyoko or Hina was here; they were really good with kids. Eiji didn't have much to go on, since his parents were never really interested in what he was doing, but he knew he had to try. Reaching out, Eiji gently pulled the sobbing Greeed into his lap, hugging him. Ankh had sometimes enjoyed sitting like this on the roof where no one could see them as they watched the sunset, he hoped the kid would be comforted by this as well._

_ "He is a big black bird, and he brought me here after Ankh and I joined together…when I lost and disappeared. Instead of fading away he told me I could do whatever I wanted! It was really fun at first, but then he started saying mean things to me as I watched you and Ankh go on all kinds of adventures." KoAnkh laid his head on Eiji's forearm, hugging it to himself like a stuffed animal. Unsure of what to really do, Eiji rubbed the boy's shoulder with his free arm._

_ "Where is this black bird KoAnkh? When was the last time you saw him?" This was starting to sound weirder and weirder. A black bird yummy, but only Ankh and Lost Ankh could make those types of Yummys. Lost Ankh hid behind Eiji's arm, burying his face in the large sleeve._

_ "I don't remember. He brings me friends to play with, mostly other Greeeds or Yummy, but they usually run away, and when they run away, he chases them down and eats them. I'm always sad when he does that, because I just want to be friends! I know you really like Ankh, that's why I tried to keep him close and hidden away, so the Black Bird wouldn't find him." Eiji didn't know what to do. All this information was overwhelming the poor rider. How much of it was really true, how much was born from the imagination of a lost, lonely shell of a boy? Tears welled in the little boy's eyes as a fresh round of tears started to fall._

_ "It's alright, I understand. Why did you hurt us though?" Continuing to rub his back, Eiji rocked Lost Ankh slightly, hoping he was doing the right thing and not making the moment worse. Lost Ankh's tears subsided as he calmed to sniffles and hiccups._

_ "Well, that's what Mezool and Gamel and Uva and Dr. Miki used to do when they wanted someone to stay put or wanted one of their Yummys to do something." He sniffled, counting the names off on each finger before wiping his nose on his own shirt. Eiji was slightly grateful that he didn't use Eiji's shirt. "I saw that it worked really well, so I used that. I didn't know it hurt you so much." Again, the boy tried to hide in Eiji's baggy sleeves. "I'm really sorry" he mumbled, cracking Eiji's skewed image of the boy. _

_ Thinking back to all the hell the poor child went through during his time alive, it must have been quite shocking and strange. He was so alone in the world, everyone using him for one reason or another. It was no wonder he ended up the way he did. He was a grown Greeed trapped with a kid's mind. Eiji wrapped his arms around the boy, hugging him tight. "Don't worry; I will make sure to keep you safe." Lost Ankh pushed Eiji's arm away, standing up and looking down at the Rider, his face full of rage once again._

_ "That's what they all say! They all make promises only to laugh in my face when they break them. No, I won't let that happen again!" His wings flared behind him, reminding Eiji that even though he was a kid, he was still a Greeed. "I hope he eats Ankh and you never have him again!" Lost Ankh shouted, kicking Eiji in the shin before running off. _

_ "KoAnkh! Wait!" He stood up, rubbing his sore shin before trying to limp after troubled kid. "KoAnkh!" he shouted once more. "Please! Believe in me!" Eiji stretched his hand out to the child, willing him to accept his help._

_Looking over his shoulder, he shouted back to the rider, "Just you wait! I'll be more useful than that silly bird some day!" A bone snapping crunch stopped both Lost Ankh and Eiji in their tracks, as a blood curdling scream pierced the quiet plaza. Slowly, Lost Ankh backed away from the direction he was heading, his body shaking in fear as he quickly looked around. Another crunch had him jumping and running back to Eiji, hiding behind the Rider, clinging to his leg. There was another scream followed by the cry of a crow._

"_Little Ankh, did you find a new playmate?" a mysterious voice asked, the sound seeming to come from everywhere at once. Eiji pushed KoAnkh behind him, hoping to protect him from this unknown entity. "Now, now you know you must put your other toys away first before bringing out new ones." The voice laughed again, transforming into the sound of a crow's call._

_A dark shape fell from the sky, expanding its wings before crouching on the ground. Slowly the creature stood up, revealing to be some sort of Crow Yummy, with a beak on its forehead and wings attached to his arms. Black feathers covered its body as it stared at the boys through its beady black eyes, his head twitching every now and then and letting out a sharp cry. _

"_My, oh my, this is quite the lively one! I bet he would have a wonderful taste! Oh to taste flesh and blood again, not these disgusting metallic tastes that these damn Greeed have," the Crow said, spitting on the ground, taking a few steps towards the pair. "I can't wait for such a delicacy." Lost Ankh retreated a few steps, pulling on Eiji's shirt with him, not wanting to be left alone._

"_Leave him alone, he does not need your help. No one is going to get eaten," Eiji said, pulling out the OOO driver and sliding it onto his waist, the familiar band snapping in place. _

"_You're protecting that worthless child? What a waste of time! Please he couldn't even be called an appetizer, even in his Greeed form. Look at you child, cowering behind a human like a disgusting worm. You sicken me, the same way you sickened everyone else that ever cared for you, they were so happy to get away from you," the Crow said, advancing on the pair, his head tilting one way than the other. "How long until this one abandons you hmm? That one aquatic girl said she would protect you, even fought for you a bit as a Greeed, but where is she now? Gone. Her lovely doll form trashed and destroyed just like the others." He laughed as he stopped suddenly, his tongue moving something in his cheek. "Oh? It would seem I missed part of my lunch." Spitting into his hand, something red flashed quickly in the light. Eiji's heart froze as his eyes caught the brief object. No…it couldn't be that…_

_Holding it up to the sky, the Crow Yummy held a red core, the sunlight sparkling off of it as he turned it in his hand. Shaking his head he threw it at Eiji. "Here, those parts always taste disgusting. You can have it." He laughed as Eiji numbly caught it, almost dropping it on the ground. No, that couldn't have been what those horrifying screams were. Lost Ankh peeked around Eiji's leg, trying to get a better look at what he had._

"_What…Where is Ankh?" Eiji demanded, his fist tightening around the core as rage threatened to overtake him. The bird simply laughed and shrugged while patting his stomach._

"_He managed to get away from me this time; I don't know where he is hiding now. But it's only a matter of time before I finish him for dinner. Say, how would you like to be the main dish tonight? It's been so long since I've had human…" The bird began to creep towards Eiji, a sick, twisted smile on his face as he rubbed his talons together in delight. Finally, Lost Ankh stood in front of Eiji, his arms spread out as if to protect the Kamen Rider._

"_NO! I won't let you hurt anyone else! I don't want to play with you anymore, let them go!" Lost Ankh said his body rigid and his red and green wings spread out just as his arms were. Eiji's eyed the little boy who was standing up for him. So much bravery in this tiny child, he truly was a lot like Ankh._

"_Tch, you worthless piece of shit, I would have eaten you long ago if you weren't the only reason people came here in the first place! No, I need you to keep bringing me souls to devour. Besides, you have nowhere to go. You have no body in the real world, no core to hide your subconscious in. Face it brat, you're trapped!" He threw his head back and laughed as he backhanded the boy across the face, knocking him to the ground. Eiji swung his fist, punching the bird in the stomach. _

"_Run KoAnkh! Run and find Ankh, save him! I'll take care of this." Eiji shouted, punching the bird back again and sliding the OOO scanner across the three cores in his belt. "Henshin!"_

"_**Taka! Tora! Batta! TaToBa! TaToBa TaToBa!" **__the belt sang once more as the three colored cores surrounded Eiji, transforming him into OOO again. His yellow core began to glow brightly, causing his Tora claws to extend as he swiped at the Crow Yummy. The Yummy simply laughed at Eiji's pitiful attempts, dodging him with a bird like grace._

"_Go ahead and save Ankh, you little dirt clot, it will only mean that he will replace you once again," The Crow called out to Lost Ankh, dancing around OOO and kicking him in the side before taking flight once more. "Yes, you remember how it felt to be abandoned once again by people who supposedly cared for you. Are you ready to feel that again you piece of shit?" The crow cried once again, swooping down and slicing at OOO with his talons._

"_Don't listen to him," Eiji shouted, rolling to the side to dodge the oncoming attack. The green part of his chest piece began to glow as Eiji jumped high in the sky using the Batta legs, grasping onto the bird and attacking once more with his claws. "I will find a way to save you both! Please, trust me!" The bird fell into a nose dive, quickly pulling up before he collided with the Earth, slamming OOO into the ground. The bird landed on OOO's chest, pinning the rider with his black talons._

"_Yes, betray the little boy; crush his dreams just like everyone else. How many dreams have you crushed OOO? Oh so many, so many desires you have squashed like a bug beneath your Kamen Rider title. We shall see what this poor excuse for a bird Greeed can do on his own. After all, he is merely the shadow of a once greater Greeed, just like how you are the pitiful image of the great King!" The bird screamed once more taking flight with his claws dug deep into OOO's shoulder armor, pulling the rider with him. _

_Out of nowhere, a fireball smashed into the back of the Crow Yummy, right between the shoulder blades, causing him to drop OOO. "Catch!" Lost Ankh shouted his left arm a talon just like Ankh's as he threw a yellow Core to Eiji. Catching it and sliding into into place, using the OOO Scanner he transformed once more while his body plummeted to earth. _

"_**Lion! Tora! Batta! Latoraba!"**__ the belt sang as OOO's helmet turned from the red moth motif to that of a golden Lion's mane. Landing on his feet, the green Batta core glowed bright as he sprung into the air once more. His golden Lion core shined bright as a blinding light seared the Crow Yummy, blinding him long enough for OOO to swipe him with his claws once more._

"_You fool! I gave you too much free reign. I shall be back, and this time I'll make it so you never know friendship again!" The bird threw razor sharp feathers at the two before flying off into the afternoon sky, shaking off the blinding light from the Lion core. Deciding against chasing after the Yummy, Eiji landed on the ground, tilting the belt back to its normal setting, and dropping out of his transformation. _

_Lost Ankh stood his ground, holding the book of Cores to his chest, rubbing the back of his hand against his face to get rid of the tears that swelled up again. Eiji knelt down next to the boy, placing both his hands on the boys shoulder. _

"_Thank you for saving me back there, you were a big help," Eiji said, forcing Lost Ankh to look him in the eyes. He had a no-nonsense look "You must listen to me KoAnkh, I will protect both you and Ankh, I promise," he meant every word. Doubt still lingered on the child's face, but he nodded his head, the seed of hope beginning to take hold in his tiny, childlike heart. _

_Sunlight began to sparkle, shining brightly in Eiji's eyes. The world around him began to get fuzzy and blur slightly. Lost Ankh clung to Eiji, throwing his tiny arms around the Kamen Rider's neck. "No, don't go! Please, I'm scared…" he whispered into Eiji's shoulder, the tears pulling at Eiji's heart as the sunlight sparkled in his eyes again, pulling him from this dreamlike state._

"_I have to go KoAnkh, I have to figure out a way to save both of you. For now, I need you to be brave and look after Ankh. He needs help." Lost Ankh shook his head again, mumbling something about how he was better than Ankh. "I need both of you. You are right, you aren't two sides of the same coin, but you both still need each other to be whole. Give me some time." He kissed the child's forehead as the world faded away, his strange dream coming to an end once again._

**-OOO-**

Eiji opened his eyes to the bright morning sunlight, birds singing their sweet song in the alley way outside his window. Taking a deep, shuttering breath, he sat up, looking around at the room which held so many memories for him. On the nightstand stood two parts of a single core, waiting to be fixed and mended back together by Eiji. Picking up the pieces he held one piece in each hand, looking at them for the first time as two separate pieces instead of one solid Core. There were two people who needed his help, not just one. Closing his eyes, Eiji remembered fighting against Kamen Rider Poseidon, how the young man had tried so hard to reach out to Eiji, begging for help while he was possessed by the cores stuck inside of him. Power was a freighting thing if used improperly. Gripping both core pieces tightly, Eiji got dressed for the new day, determined to make headway in saving two people he cared about.

First, he needed to stop by the Milk Dipper, and then maybe he would head over to the Kougami Foundation to see if they had made any new advancement in finding a way to revive Ankh. He also had a new request for the Foundation, one that was very personal.

**-OOO-**

_Lost Ankh wondered down the alley way, holding the strange book of cores in his hand, looking through them as he wondered. He needed to learn all the little combinations if he was going to be Eiji's new partner. Memories were tied with each one, memories of spending time with the different Greeed who once possessed these medals. His foot bumped into something, pulling him from his study._

_ "Excuse me," Lost Ankh said, bowing to whatever he had hit. The book slid from his hands, clattering on the floor as before him sat most of a man sitting on the floor. He wore dirty clothes, stained with blood and who knew what else. One leg was gone from the knee down, sand floating up from the nasty wound. There was also a huge chunk taken out of the man's shoulder, and his side was soaked in blood. _

_ Vacant eyes stared up at Lost Ankh, eyes that belonged to a blond man who had lost so much. He looked at Lost Ankh, having issues focusing on the boy who stood in front of him. He tilted his head one way, the child tilting his head the opposite._

_ "I think…I need someone…" the injured man mumbled, his body refusing to co-operate with the basic commands he tried to give it. What was it that he was feeling? Tired, the word whispered in his head, along with a vague notion of being exhausted. Strange, why was he feeling this, he wondered. He was supposed to be out looking…for something…or someone. He felt himself slowly slipping away from everything, just wanting to rest._

_ "Don't worry Ankh, I'm here now." The boy said, helping the injured Greeed to stand on his one good leg while retrieving the Core book. "I'll protect you; I promised someone that I would." Together they hobbled down the street and into the Cous Couisser. Setting Ankh in a booth, Lost Ankh made a makeshift bed that would support the Greeed. After laying the injured man down to rest, he ran upstairs to grab the red satin sheet he knew Ankh liked. By the time he made it back down stairs and covered the Greeed with it, part of Ankh's left hand was already missing, dissolving into sand._

_ "Ankh…someone else called me that today. What do I call you," Ankh asked, his eyelids drooping shut as his head relaxed against the pillow. His whole body felt so heavy, but he was curious about this…small person who was helping him._

_ "My name is KoAnkh," the little boy replied, pulling up a chair and sitting next to the man, holding the old Greeed's hand with both of his smaller ones._

_ "Little…Ankh…I…like it…I think…maybe you are…lost…just like…me…" he mumbled before finally drifting to sleep, grateful for the tiny hand holding his. At least he didn't feel so alone now._

* * *

**Author's Note****: **Phew! What a chapter! That turned out nothing like I had planned it to be originally, but I like this a lot! I always thought Lost Ankh could have been a good guy if he had been guided and taken care of by the right people. I hope you are all ready for a Den-O cameo! I'm sure you are all tired of my cameos now, but I like them and they make me smile. I think we only have two or three more…maybe. There isn't much of a spoiler, just hopefully you've seen up to episode 3 or 4 so you have a basic idea who the cast is. I think 16 or 18 is the _ideal_ episode, but it's not mandatory. Enjoy and please review!

Also know that the Crow Yummy and the name 'KoAnkh' are both mine neither appeared in the show and/or movies.


	8. Memories

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 8 – Memories**

**By** ManaGoddess

**Disclaimer****:** I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments. All characters from Kamen Rider are owned by the Toei Company.

**Author's Note****:** Welcome back for the 8th installment of my Eiji x Ankh story, Dreams are for Nights. This story is becoming so much more than I ever thought it would, I'm very happy with it. I would like to thank each and everyone one of you for sticking around and joining me on this wondrous adventure. Today we will have another cameo (I never expected it to become a reoccurring theme to have cameos, but here we are) this time from the first Kamen Rider I ever sat down and watched, Kamen Rider Den-O. There will be no major spoilers, nothing that can't be figured out in the first three episodes of Den-O. Ideally, the magic episode to have seen up to is 18, but that isn't necessary. Technically, the part I'm using never even happened, it's just my own reimagining of it. Enjoy today's adventure. Thank you.

****In case you are wondering why this says 'new chapter', that's because I added the nightmare chapter (chapter 3) to this story, making it one single story instead of two. I'm still working on chapter 9 though!****

* * *

For the first time since Eiji had begun having these weird dreams, which he wasn't even sure were really dreams, he woke up feeling determined. Normally he was a bit shaken, even having to rely on Chiyoko to wake him up from the more horrible of nightmares. It was all different today, everything had changed. Lost Ankh, or KoAnkh as he preferred to call himself, wasn't really a bad guy, just a misunderstood kid who had a misguided youth. All he needed was a chance. Either way, it didn't matter, Eiji had already decided to forgive the younger Greeed and do everything in his power to save him as well as Ankh. There was no way he could just leave the child there while he saved the boy's other half.

No, they weren't two halves. Eiji really needed to stop thinking of them that way. Ankh was Ankh and Lost Ankh was KoAnkh…if that made any sense. A smile played on Eiji's lips as he pulled his green tie-dyed shirt over his head, the light and dark greens swirling with each other and matching his dark brown pants. Today Eiji had decided to wear his shitake mushrooms boxers; they were brownish-red and green with little happy mushrooms dancing on them. A knock on the door startled him slightly.

"Eiji? Are you awake?" Chiyoko asked, knocking once more. Eiji smiled as he walked to the door and opened it for the always cheerful restaurant owner. As usual, the brilliant smile of Chiyoko lit up the room, even though she was holding several coat hangers of clothing and a small box.

"Good morning Chiyoko. Are those today's costumes," Eiji asked, taking the clothing from her and hanging it up on the racks that lined his room. He never minded holding onto the costumes in this little attic, it made him feel useful. Besides, it was technically Chiyoko's space; Eiji was just renting it from her. Looking through the clothes, he tilted his head at their strangeness and wide variety trying to figure out how they fit together for a theme. Today was going to be interesting indeed.

"Good morning Eiji! Yes these are today's costumes! Yours is…" she flipped through the costumes until she came up with a colorful sort of bard's garb. "This one!" She handed Eiji the outfit, setting something wooden on top of it. The undershirt and pants were a lovely forest green while a sort of shawl would hang over one shoulder, tying over the other. It was a deep brown shawl, with intricate beading on it to give it a little sparkle. There was also a strange stringed instrument hanging from a leather cord that seemed like it would attach over his shoulder and hang off his back, allowing Eiji to still be able to serve customers.

Searching the rack for another costume, Chiyoko unhooked one and held it against herself, fanning out the skirt. Hers was of a Greek style, all white with a golden belt around the middle and no sleeves. However, since it must be more exciting than just a normal Greek dress, there were white feathers all over it, fanning down the skirt and around the waist. A headdress made to look like a swan's head adored Chiyoko's crown, matching the arm bands she held up for Eiji's inspection. To say he was a bit confused and overwhelmed was a complete understatement.

Still on the rack was a third costume, and from the look of it, one of Chiyoko's more…different ones. The pants were red and baggy, similar to the style Eiji normally wore, but they only went down to roughly one's knee. Below that it was yellow and appeared to look like talons. The shirt was very simple beige but had bright red wings on the back. Hanging from the hanger was also a beak that looked like it might belong to some kind of vicious bird. To Eiji, it looked a bit like a Garuda from the Buddha religion. He would need to see it on someone to get a better look at it and be certain. Eiji was quietly thankful that his was rather normal compared to the other two.

"These are very interesting Chiyoko, what is the theme?" He was nervous as he hung his costume back up, being careful to avoid the wings on the third costume so he didn't rumple any featheres. He would change into it when he returned from doing his errands today. Chiyoko smiled, hanging up her costume as well and picking up the small box that had been on top of all the clothing when he arrived.

"Since the stars from yesterday's theme were so pretty, I decided to use them again for today! I ran into the most interesting person yesterday morning while I was picking up things from the market and he told me all about a constellation formation called The Summer Triangle, which consists of three very bright stars lined up to make a perfect triangle in the summer. Since we already were putting up stars for the space theme, I thought 'why not use them for a second day?' Isn't that neat?" Chiyoko said, bubbling with excitement at finding such a unique idea for the restaurant.

Eiji looked at the clothing and laughed nervously. "That is neat, but isn't the Tanabata festival not for a few more weeks?" He tilted his head slightly, remembering that it was still the month of June. Chiyoko tapped him on the shoulder with the box she was still holding, laughing.

"Yes, yes and we shall do a proper event for that, we might even use some of the same costumes. However, the Summer Triangle involves the brightest stars from the constellations Cygnus," she started, gesturing to her white swan costume. "Aquila," she gestured towards the Garuda looking costume hanging on the rack with the bright colored wings, "and Lyra!" Finally she pointed to Eiji's costume. A frown replaced her usual brilliant smile as her brows furrowed. "I wish I could remember the name of the important stars…Oh well. Would you ask Airi about it when you drop off the coffee roaster today please? If anyone would know the names of the stars she would. If she has a book on it, see if you can borrow it."

"Of course I will," he said, smiling and checking his pockets to make sure he had everything he needed for the day. "Anything else I need to pick up while I'm out?" He was a bit nervous, since Chiyoko could request the strangest of things. Chiyoko thought for a moment, tapping the box in her hand to her cheek a few times. Her eyes widened as she suddenly remember she was holding the box. Smiling she handed the box to Eiji.

"I nearly forgot! I picked this up for you today while I was out shopping." A light blush crept onto her cheeks as Eiji gratefully took the box and opened the lid. Inside laid a very strange object. It was a wooden circle, made from a branch of tree with fine red yarn interweaving itself in the circle to look like a spider's web. Dangling from the circle was several strips of leather with beautiful red feathers tied to them. Gingerly, Eiji held up the strange charm, spinning it this way and that to get a better look at it.

"Chiyoko, this is beautiful." A smile played at Eiji's lips. It looked very familiar to Eiji, he was certain he had seen things like this while on his travels to help the Kougami foundation, even before when he was traveling to help other countries in his youth. Still he couldn't quite place its name or what it actually did. Chiyoko giggled and took the item from Eiji, hanging it above his bed on the wall.

"It's called a 'Dreamcatcher' and is supposed to protect sleeping people by catching the bad dreams and only allowing the good dreams to pass through to the dreamer." She turned to Eiji, her eyes glassy with unshed tears and her voice soft and serious. "I know you have had some trouble sleeping lately, so I wanted to do everything I could to help. This place will always be a home for you, and I want your home to be safe as possible."

Moved by the thoughtful gesture, Eiji embraced the woman. She laughed at his bear hug, but did her best to squeeze him back just as hard. "Alright, that's enough. Airi is waiting for you and don't forget to ask her about those stars!" Eiji laughed, grabbing his shoes and heading downstairs with the restaurant owner. Boxes lined the floor with several more decorations for the day's theme.

"Who else is working tonight, I saw three costumes." Eiji said as he sat on the floor near the door, slipping on his boots. He was a bit nervous, but he did hope to have a chance to apologize to Shingo. Chiyoko thought for a moment as she put groceries away in the freezer, the astronaut ice cream still sitting on the counter with a note of no one to eat it.

"I believe Shintaro offered to help tonight since Hina and Shingo were both busy. I wonder when Date will be back, I miss his cooking." Chiyoko said as she continued to organize the kitchen for when the restaurant opened later in the afternoon. Eiji was both relieved and a bit disappointed by not being able to see Shingo and apologize, but it would be nice to see Shintaro Gatou again. It had been quite a while since Eiji had seen the former Rider. How Chiyoko managed to convince everyone to come and work for her was a mystery that would probably never be solved. Double checking his mental list of things to-do today, he stepped out into the warm summer morning, ready to make progress in helping Ankh and KoAnkh.

**-OOO-**

Eiji smiled at the building in front of him. It was a quaint little corner building, the arched doors large and wooden just like the Cous Coussier. There building itself was several stories high and cream colored with a dark green trim around the bottom. A hanging sign on the door told patrons that this was the Milk Dipper, a library and a café. Currently the sign hanging below its name said that the store was closed, but Chiyoko had told him Airi would be expecting him early, so he opened the door anyway.

"Good morning," a sweet voice greeted Eiji as he entered, carrying the brass roasting tool used to make coffee along with a few other supplies that the café had leant to the Cous Coussier. Behind the counter stood a tall girl with dark brown hair pulled back leaving only her bangs to soften her face; roasting coffee in a spare roaster that resembled the one Eiji was carrying. "Oh, you must be from the Cous Coussier!" She said, looking up from her coffee. Setting the beans aside, making a notation in a spiral notebook hidden behind the counter, she walked around the counter to properly greet the Rider. Eiji stepped inside, bowing slightly to her.

"Good morning. You must be Ms. Airi Nogami," Eiji said, handing the woman the brass contraption and its extra goodies. Awkwardly, she set the things on the counter, double checking that everything was there. Even if something had been missing, she wasn't too worried, she knew Chiyoko was a good person and would return it eventually. "Thank you again for allowing us to use your coffee." Airi giggled to herself as she went back behind the counter, preparing the water to brew the beans for her next experimental cup of coffee.

"Would you like to stay for a cup of coffee? I'm just about to start making some," Airi said as she set out two mugs on little saucers, scanning the notebook beside the cups before writing something down in it once again.

"I would like that very much, thank you!" Eiji said, excited to try out this famous coffee. Although he had sampled it a few times when Chiyoko had brought him some, it was never the same as having it fresh and hot. "I don't think Chiyoko or I got the hang of how you make it." Airi laughed quietly as she placed the beans in their strainer, the water finally reaching the perfect temperature according to her notes.

"The secret is to be calm and patient and let the coffee beans do their work. Most people rush them, especially with the new coffee machines they have now a days," she said, pouring the water slowly over the beans in a circular pattern. A soft smile played on her lips as a memory danced so close to her, but she couldn't quite grasp it. There was something about making her coffee that brought peace to Airi. Her parents had owned this café before her, and she was honored to take it over after they had unfortunately passed away.

"This restaurant is very beautiful," Eiji commented, looking around the café while Airi did her work. The walls were lined with all kinds of books, magazines, and manga about the stars and their different astrological importance. Even the ceiling was decorated with painted stairs in different constellation formations with little lines drawn to help the patrons see the shapes. It was a bit strange to see a box full of gifts and other things near the entrance of the shop with a sign above it that said 'lost and found'. In the center, on a pedestal above one of the tables and shelves was a golden telescope.

"Thank you, someone helped me decorate it when we first reopened. I want to say it was my brother Ryotaro…but I'm not exactly sure, it's a bit fuzzy to me." She said, frowning as she tried to remember decorating the café before opening the first time, but she couldn't. Shrugging it off, she continued to pour the water over the beans slowly. "I do hope you don't mind testing my new coffee, I'm trying to figure out how to make it sweeter, since some of my customers like it better." Eiji laughed.

"Yes, we usually offer sugar at our tables for customers to sweeten their coffee. They really did like your coffee though." A smile blossomed on Airi's face.

"That's great! Hopefully that will bring more customers," she started when the door to the shop opened once again. "Oh, my first customer, good morning." She smiled to the person, bowing slightly as she kept her eye on the cup of coffee, adding a bit of sugar while it was still hot and giving it a quick stir.

A tall man walked in, wearing a brown trench coat and a matching hat that covered most of his face. Quietly, he closed the door behind him, not wanting to disturb the quiet atmosphere of the early morning. Taking off his hat and running his hand through his neat brown hair, the mysterious man nodded to Eiji and then finally to Airi. He removed his coat, folded it over itself and set it on the chair next to the one he chose to occupy at the bar.

"Good morning to you as well, I do hope I'm not interrupting." He said a bit nervously, looking from Airi to Eiji. Eiji waved his hand in front of his face, chuckling.

"No, I was just returning something to Ms. Airi. Please, don't mind me." He bowed to the gentlemen and started to edge towards the door. Setting down the coffee beans and the water back on the heating element, Airi rushed around the counter. Grabbing Eiji's hand, she directed him to a seat near the other customer, forcing him to sit.

"I promised you a cup of coffee and you shall enjoy it. You can't attract your lucky star if you are not enjoying moments for yourself," Airi said. She turned to the customer, bowing her head slightly to the gentlemen. "What can I get for you today sir?" The gentleman leaned over the counter, spying the notebook and the notations in it. A secretive smile played on his lips as he straightened in his seat.

"I would like a cup of coffee please. I would very much like to try the one you are experimenting with, if that is alright," he asked, smiling to Airi, with a strange sort of _knowing_ look to his eyes. Eiji tilted his head as he watched the two. The man knew something about Airi, but wasn't going to tell. Either way, it wasn't any of Eiji's business.

"Of course, I have almost finished making some for the gentleman over there, I would be happy to make you a cup as well," she bowed once more and went back to work on the coffee. "Please feel free to take a look around while you wait." The customer thanked her before rising to look at the books in the café. Walking along, his finger tracing the names on the spine, he found a book he was looking for, pulling it out he flipped the book open. Curious, Eiji tilted his head to read the name of the book, _Night Sky of Summer_.

"Oh! That reminds me! Airi I have a favor to ask of you, maybe you can answer Chiyoko's question about some of the constellations." Eiji said, leaning over on the counter, almost afraid to leave his seat for fear Airi would hunt him down again. She looked up at him, a bit confused but nodded.

"I'm not an expert, but I shall try. I used to study the stars a few years ago…but then…" she trailed off, frowning as yet another memory danced away from her mind. Her eyes traveled to the telescope sitting above the bookshelf in the middle of the café, she remembered using that to look at the stars with someone who would point out the different constellations to her. They had a wonderful time doing that, but she couldn't remember the person who was with her. Shaking her head, she finished making the first cup of coffee and setting it in front of Eiji. "Before you add sugar, make sure you taste it first." She warned with a playfully stern look to her face.

"Yes ma'am," Eiji said, taking the first sip. It really was delicious, better than anything he or anyone at the Cous Coussier could ever hope to make. "It's wonderful Airi! Thank you!" She giggled, and began to prepare the second cup for her customer.

"I can help answer your question if you like, I know a bit about the stars as well." The other customer said, smiling to himself as he closed the book and sat back at the bar, the book next to his hat and coat. Eiji flushed a bit, he didn't want to inconvenience the customer or be a burden to Airi.

"T-Thank you," Eiji bowed slightly, nervous for some strange reason. He turned to Airi, still sipping the coffee in his hands. "We are doing a theme for the Summer Triangle as Chiyoko called it. It is supposed to be the three brightest stars from three surrounding constellations that line up and form a triangle shape during the summer months. She has costumes based off of the constellations, a swan, a garuda, and some sort of musician with a strange wooden harp instrument,"

"Cygnus, Aquila, and Lyre," the mysterious man provided, turning to Eiji with a confused look to his face. "I helped a woman the other morning with some questions about constellations, she might be the same person." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little rectangle ad for the Cous Coussier, showing off some of the fun themes they had done in the past. "I guess you work for this place?" Eiji nodded.

"Yes, I live there as well from time to time. Airi let us borrow one of her roasters and coffee sets when we were doing a Noir detective them the other day." Airi nodded from behind the counter, smiling softly to herself as she poured the water over the beans. "Oh, before I forget again, my memory seems to be failing me quite a bit today. Chiyoko would like to know the names of the three stars that are in the constellation for the Summer Triangle, and if you have a book on it, if we may borrow it." Airi thought for a moment as she finished pouring the water, letting the coffee beans work their magic.

"Altair, Vega, and…" she started, naming two of the stars. A frown creased her brow as she tried to remember the third star. It was a simple name and for some reason she imagined a gentleman in a silver mask with a black and green cloak. How odd. The customer chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head at some thought he had.

"Deneb. That is the third star in the constellation," The customer answered, opening the book he had pulled from the library earlier to show Eiji a picture of the constellation in question. He pointed to the three stars, naming them once again for him. "Sailors have been using it for a long time to help them find their way home. If you are in the southern hemisphere it is called the Northern Triangle." Airi gave the man a strange look, tilting her head at him as her eyes searched his face. A light flush crept over his cheeks as he smiled awkwardly at Airi. Shaking her head to clear more cobwebs, Airi handed the customer his cup of coffee. Instantly he went for the sugar, getting quite a bit on the spoon before Airi placed her hand atop his to stop him. Their eyes met once again, the flush becoming a bit more noticeable on his cheeks this time.

"Try it first before you add sugar. I've been working on a sweeter recipe that has been a bit more popular with the girls. You may enjoy it more," she said, almost as if in a trance of sorts. Nodding and pulling his hand away, the gentleman tried the coffee. Eiji smirked, grateful he hadn't tried to make that mistake earlier.

Silence stretched as Airi watched the stranger closely. He sipped the coffee at first, almost afraid of what he would taste. Then, joy blossomed on his face as he took another, longer sip of coffee, letting the richness of flavors engrave them in his memory as he savored the sip. He opened his eyes and set his cup down. "This is perfect Ms. Airi, absolutely wonderful. Exactly how I remembered it from _his_ explanation a long time ago." The customer said the last part almost a bit to himself instead of everyone around him. A huge smile broke out on Airi's face, causing her to giggle a bit like a younger girl.

"I am very glad you like it! I was worried about it, and I'm not quite sure why," Airi said nervously, jotting down a few notes in her book once more, proud of the work she had done. "If I may be so bold, what is your name sir? I feel like I've met you before, but my mind is full of blanks today," she asked, blushing a little bit as she looked at the mysterious man who was enjoying her coffee so much. She didn't know why her heart was fluttering so much, but it did. Something about the stars and coffee made her relax and feel at ease and for once, she wasn't trying to grasp for the memories that eluded her so.

"My name is Yuto Sakurai," he said, extending his hand across the table to her. She grasped it in both of hers, shaking it gingerly. Suddenly the door burst open as two men hurried in, each trying to beat the other to the counter. One was dressed in a brown suit while the other was dressed as a temple priest or spirit counselor. The men practically shoved the customer, Sakurai, out of the way to dote on Airi's outstretched hand.

"Airi! Oh you look fantastic today! I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner, I had...to submit a new article for the magazine," the man in the suit said, elbowing the priest looking man to the side. Sakurai stood up, moving his things down the bar a bit sitting closer to a shocked Eiji, glaring daggers at the two guys.

"That's very nice Ozaki," Airi said, pulling her hand out of his grasp only to have the other man take her hand.

"Forgive me for not being here as you opened, there was a nasty spirit I needed to help. How is Ryotaro? Has he had any more issues with those…evil spirits of his?" The priest asked his rosaries and other trinkets bumping against the counter.

"Ryotaro is doing well, thank you for asking Miura," Airi said, addressing the priest and once again, pulling her hand away from the men as she quickly turned to grab more coffee beans. The men bumped against each other, each one trying to get the perfect view of Airi. Fed up with their antics, Sakurai stood behind the two men, grasping their shoulders firmly he forced them to sit down on the stools.

"You two need to relax or else the coffee will not be able to do its job. I highly suggest that you take the Ms Airi's advice," Sakurai growled to the two men as they both turned a bit white. Eiji snickered into his cup as Sakurai walked back to his new seat near Eiji, picking up his coffee and enjoying it again. A clock on the wall chimed the hour.

"It's that late already? I would like to thank both of you, Airi and Sakurai, for all your help today," Eiji said, bowing to both of them. Sakurai nodded his head to the younger Rider as Airi pouted slightly.

"Must you leave already? The book Mr. Sakurai has would probably do perfect for Chiyoko if you would like to borrow it," Airi said, nodding her head to the book that lay between Sakurai and Eiji, showing the picture of the Summer Triangle. Eiji collected the book, reading the quick description of the constellations in the Triangle. He frowned as he read a passage about the constellation he would be dressing up as later in the evening.

"Mr. Sakurai…I hate to bother you again, but I have another question," Eiji asked, laying the book down and pointing to the constellation Lyra. Sakurai leaned over to get a better look. Even the two other guys in the restaurant who were arguing quietly about Airi managed to calm down and peek at the book. "It says here that the constellation is associated with Orpheus and his lyre from Greek Mythology." Sakurai nodded his head quickly scanning the same passage Eiji had read. "Is that the same Orpheus who fetched his wife's soul from the Underworld?"

"Yes, although it is from a few years after he fails. When Orpheus was killed, Zeus sent an Eagle to fetch both Orpheus and his lyre, placing them in the sky to forever watch the world," Sakurai said, sitting back proper on his stool, picking up his coffee for another sip. He looked at Eiji, who had a looked quite distraught from the news. "Many stories of the past don't always have happy endings, but they are there to teach us a lesson." His eyes traveled to Airi, who was watching him curiously. "But sometimes, the past can give us hope. Even when Orpheus lost his wife, he did not give up hope, and instead searched for her. That can be used today, even if we can't find the love we are searching for, we must know that the past will guide us, hopefully showing us the way to find true love once more."

Eiji looked from Sakurai to Airi, both were so wrapped in his story that they didn't really notice anything else going on in the room. Ozaki and Miura both glared daggers at Sakurai, plotting some scheme to get him disliked by Airi. She tilted her head at him; something was familiar about this man, something she couldn't quite place her finger on.

"The future will protect us," she said, sounding a bit lost as the words came to her. "No matter how tough today is, tomorrow will always be there to keep us safe. We must believe in tomorrow, for it will set us free." Eiji couldn't move, he was trapped in some sort of strange spell that the two star enthusiasts were casting. A smile played on Sakurai's lips as he set his coffee down again, leaning on the counter to look at Airi san fully.

"The future will always come and rescue you. It may not be instantly, but it will always be there to give hope to yesterday," he said, his words clicking something in Eiji. He had met future Ankh before, when had returned from his travels and ended up helping Kamen Rider Aqua. That was his hope, his tomorrow that told Eiji he would succeed in protecting the Greeed. Something was still nagging at him though.

"What happens, when this person doesn't remember your past, doesn't even remember who you are or the time you spent together," Eiji asked nervously, his hand resting on the broken core in his pocket. His voice was quiet, "what if they have forgotten who they are?" Sakurai rose and put his hand on Eiji's shoulder, smiling to the younger man.

"Don't lose hope. Memories are fragile, but they are also very strong and can bind us to people we care about. It can feel like your entire existence was wiped from someone's memory with a swipe of a card, but fragments of you will always be there," Sakurai said, squeezing Eiji's shoulder and returning to his seat and cooling cup of coffee.

"Thank you, thank you both of you very much. You two should come by the Cous Coussier later for a meal, my treat!" Eiji said, grabbing the book in his excitement. He had a lot of work to do and sitting here in this lovely café was not going to get it done. Both Airi and Sakurai looked at him confused but smiled anyway.

"I would love to go. It would be interesting to see how Chiyoko pulls off the theme for the Summer Triangle," Sakurai said, turning to Airi, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "How about you Ms. Airi, would you like to go? I can point out some of the constellations that they will be dressing up as so you will have a better idea about it." Airi blushed as she busied herself with setting the two coffee cups in front of the other two patrons looked about ready to kill Sakurai. Airi barely even glanced at them.

"I think that would be very nice Sakurai. I have to tell my brother Ryotaro though, I wouldn't want him to worry," she said, a bit flustered as she texted someone on her phone. Both men at the end of the bar were almost weeping over each other, wondering how this man had convinced Airi to go on a date when no one else had been able to before.

"I have met Ryotaro a few times, I don't think he would mind," Sakurai said, smirking into his cup as he finished his coffee. Turning to Eiji, he held out his hand, Eiji shook it, grateful for all the help and encouragement that the man didn't even know he was giving. "Eiji, I wish you the best of luck in your adventures." Sakurai turned to the telescope, hope blossoming on his face. Eiji turned and looked at the telescope as well. "Sometimes memories are just buried so deep within ourselves that we are unconsciously protecting them." He turned back to Airi who was listening to the two other men at the bar talk to her at the same time, talking over one another as they fought to get Airi's full attention. When the men weren't looking, she snuck a glance at Sakurai. Their eyes met and she blushed a bit, suddenly busying herself with something else.

"Thank you for those words. I have hope that I will be able to help my friend, he is alone right now and needs me," Eiji said, determination giving him strength. He would succeed, he knew it. Sakurai patted him on the shoulder once again and smiled.

"Good luck with your work Eiji. I shall see you tonight," Sakurai said, his eyes on Airi. "And hopefully I will have a date for the event as well." Smiling to Eiji he wondered over to the bookshelf in the middle with the telescope on it, picking up another book to read while he waited for another cup of coffee. Eiji's cellphone wrung, pulling him from the strange sensation that he knew this Sakurai person. Stepping outside the café with his book, he answered the phone call.

"Hello? This is Eiji Hino," he said, listening on to the other end. There was silence, except for the sound of a car engine. Someone must have accidentally dialed him while they were driving. Suddenly a white convertible with black racing strips came to a stop in front of Eiji. The girl driving held a cell phone out, but closed it to end the phone call. She looked up at Eiji, a bored look on her face.

"Eiji Hino, the president would like to meet with you, he says he has some news for you," she said, checking herself in the rearview mirror to make sure her makeup hadn't been ruined. She loved this car, but it messed up her hair every time.

"Satonaka! Does this mean…" Eiji started, stepping towards the secretary for the Kougami Foundation. His heart pounded in his chest as he rounded the car to get in the passenger seat.

"He told me to tell you that he has found a way to revive Ankh," she said, satisfied that her makeup was perfect, her foot hit the accelerator as the two sped off to the office of the Kougami Foundation.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** Such a terrible place for a cliffhanger, but I had to. At first I wasn't very happy with this chapter, but after several hours of editing and rewriting it, I am content. It is not my favorite, but it will do. I'm sorry for not giving these two the proper cameo they deserve. I love Sakurai Yuto, who is Kamen Rider Zeronos if you do not know. In this story he would be an adult now, and finally able to woo Airi like he is supposed to. So cute.

The Tanabatta is a Japanese star festival that is usually around July or August. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar.

Thank you once again Wikipedia for the explination.


	9. Wake Up!

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 9 – Wake Up**

**By **ManaGoddess

**Disclaimer****:** I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments. All characters from Kamen Rider are owned by the Toei Company.

**Author's Note****:** Yay, the ACUTAL new chapter! Here we are at chapter 9 of this grand adventure! I never thought this would be so…big! I do hope you all enjoyed my latest chapter and are happy to stick around. Today we shall have another cameo; this one is from Kamen Rider Kiva. I do hope you have seen all of Kiva because I'm about to spoil the heck out of it. I'm talking about you should see up to episode 43 of Kamen Rider Kiva kind of spoiling. The story is almost done folks, thank you for sticking by me. Please review!

I would like to apologize for the length of the chapter. I probably could have split it into two separate chapters, but I liked it too much to do that. Leave a review, I like knowing who is reading my story and what you all think of it thus far.

I also apologize for the language, but it kind of fits the mood/character(s).

* * *

_KoAnkh wondered through the kitchen of the Cous Coussier, opening the cabinets looking for a cup or two. Finally finding them in this strange version of the restaurant, he filled both cups with water and carefully carried them back to the half sleeping man in the dining room. Gently, KoAnkh set both cups on the table before inspecting Ankh's wounds._

_ They had gotten worse since yesterday. Most of Ankh's left leg had disintegrated into the strange sand that had begun to eat away at him after the Crow Yummy had taken a few bites of the older Greeed. Thankfully it hadn't spread to the other leg yet. KoAnkh would need Eiji's help if he was going to move Ankh somewhere more stable than this place. Checking the bandages on Ankh's right shoulder, he was pleased to see the wound had not started to disappear like his leg had. Strangely enough, Ankh's right arm was perfectly fine, even though the rest of his body had suffered a lot of trauma. KoAnkh guess that it was due to Ankh keeping his arm in its feathered Greeed form, the red talon peeking out from what was left of his torn and tattered shirt. Sadly, KoAnkh couldn't say that his left arm was as lucky, already the hand and most of the wrist had disappeared. _

_ Ankh's head lulled to the side, his vacant eyes staring at nothing in particular as they scanned around the room. He felt so sluggish, so weak. His mind was fuzzy, unable to grasp even simple concepts. His throat was hurting, it felt scratchy and it was painful to swallow, but he didn't know what to do to fix that. He tried again and again to pull up memories of what he needed, but there was nothing there, it was all blurry and in gibberish. Suddenly something cold touched his lips, drawing Ankh's eyes to the small boy who was helping him._

_ "Here, drink this, it should help," the boy, KoAnkh he had said his name was, said as he tilted the cup slowly, allowing the water to slide down Ankh's throat. It felt wonderful and refreshing. Yes, this is what he needed, water. How silly of him to forget such basic things. He'd probably be dead if it wasn't for this boy._

_ "Thank you," Ankh replied automatically, coughing as the water tried to invade his lungs. Ankh really was grateful for the child who stayed by his side during these strange times. He was forgetting everything it seemed, his mind fragmenting more and more. To make matters worse, his body was slowly eroding away. How long did he really have until he disappeared? All he knew was that he was waiting for someone...something._

_ KoAnkh rose and went to the window, opening the inside shutters to look out at the city that surrounded this little restaurant housing both them both in this strange dreamlike world. The building was quite comfortable, with the tables set up and the strange décor. There was no rhyme or reason to the decorations, murals on the walls depicting scenes from ancient folklore, tiny statues of a wolf, a mermaid, and some sort of Frankenstein, stars hung from the ceiling in some strange formation as well as a giant moon, fedora hats hung on the wall next to a tall bookcase filled with a lot of books, and Greek pillars seemed to have different elemental dragons carved in them supported much of the rooms above. It made no sense to KoAnkh, but at least he felt safe in here. Sometime during the early morning he had felt –_**something**-_ blanket the restaurant, but it wasn't a bad _something_. Whatever it was, it made him feel safe. The Crow Yummy also seemed to be unable to find them._

_ "Come out come out where ever you areeeee," a voice sang, followed by a loud caw. A shadow appeared on the ground followed by the Crow Yummy dropping from the air. He held onto the shutters of the windows, screeching at KoAnkh. "I found you, I found you at least! Now, let me in!" He screamed again, shaking the molding on the windows. KoAnkh let out a scream as he slammed the inside shutters closed, running to Ankh's side. All over the restaurant, the Crow Yummy slammed against the windows and doors, screeching to be let in. Laying his head on Ankh's remaining leg, the boy shook with fear and rage, angry at himself for being afraid. He needed to be brave, that is what Eiji had told him to do._

_ A hand gently patted KoAnkh's head, smoothing the hair back. "It will be…okay…" Ankh said in a raspy voice. His good hand curled gently around KoAnkh's upper arm, pulling the boy into his lap. Wrapping the arm around KoAnkh's waist, Ankh held the boy close, even as the fury of a storm beat the tiny restaurant. Lost for words, KoAnkh accepted the strange form of comfort, laying his head on the Greeed's good shoulder and gripping part of his shirt in his tiny hands. "I think…this is called…a hug. Someone did this to me once…and it felt nice…safe…" Ankh said as his eyes watched the door, his grip tightened on the boy. _

_ "I don't think he can get in here," whispered KoAnkh, confused as to why he was frightened and whispering. He could take on this Yummy, he had the power. Well, if he was whole he would have the power. At the rate which Ankh was fading, KoAnkh wasn't sure there would be anything left for him to draw energy from. For the first time, KoAnkh didn't want him to go. Mr. Miki and the others had been wrong about Ankh, he wasn't supposed to be absorbed they were supposed to work together. If only he had known that sooner._

_ "LET ME IN!" The Crow screamed, hitting the front door exceptionally hard, causing KoAnkh to jump and grip onto Ankh's talon arm, hiding his face in the older Greeed's chest. Ankh tightened his hold on the boy, wrapping his decaying arm around him as well. "Damn you barrier! I don't know where you came from, but once I find you, I will burn you and this whole place to the ground!" He squawked, a maniacal laugh mixing in with his caws. _

_ "I won't…let that happen…" Ankh wheezed, holding KoAnkh tight, rubbing the boy's back with his talon carefully. Something _**evil**_ was outside those doors, something that desperately wanted in. Ankh wasn't very sure what 'evil' was, but he understood it enough to know that it would hurt him and the boy. Honestly, if the thing had managed to get in, Ankh probably wouldn't be much help, but if his bravado helped the child, then he would continue the act. For some strange reason, protecting this child was helping to clear the fog in his mind, allowing bits and pieces of memories to come back. _

_ "YOU PIECE OF SHIT LET ME-" there was silence as the Yummy stopped his barrage on the door to the Cous Coussier. "Oh…oh there seems to be a meal coming this way. Who knew this world had delivery in this place!" He let out a loud caw and took off once again. KoAnkh and Ankh exchanged glances before KoAnkh walked over to the window to see what had drawn the monster's attention. He hoped Eiji wasn't back and out there, would he know where to find them? Moving this way and that, KoAnkh finally spotted the same thing the Yummy had seen, a brown haired girl wondering down the streets holding a piece of paper in one hand and looking at the different buildings, searching for someplace._

_ "Ankh, there's someone out there! We have to help them," KoAnkh shouted, pounding on the window to get the girl's attention. She was completely oblivious as she neared the restaurant, tripping over a loose cobblestone. Recovering gracefully, she looked around for the culprit who tried to trip her. Giving up with a shrug, she continued on, searching the buildings for a specific one._

_ "Well my, my, my, you are the lunch I'm looking for after all," The Crow Yummy said, landing near the girl in the road in front of the restaurant. He laughed again as he straightened, his wings flaring and firing warning shots of sharp feathers at the girl. The girl shrieked, throwing her arms up over her face to shield herself and stepping back, which only made the Yummy laugh harder. "What a darling petit little thing, I bet you will be so tasty!" The girl tucked her hair behind her ear and bowed at the waist properly._

_ "I'm sorry Mr. Crow, but I am on some important business from my boss and I can't play right now. If you will excuse me, I believe that is the building I'm looking for," the girl said politely, gesturing towards the Cous Coussier. KoAnkh screamed at her, shaking his head and making a shooing motion with his hand, trying to tell her to get away. The girl simply smiled awkwardly and waved back at the little boy._

_ "You aren't very smart are you," the Crow asked, cocking his hip to the side and shaking his head sadly at the poor girl. Didn't she know danger when she saw it? At least this would be an easy meal to catch. "Doesn't matter, just means I get to eat you sooner!" He charged the poor defenseless girl, screaming "itadakimasu" as he leapt into the air, ready to strike._

_ The girl's eyes flared with anger as she watched the monster. Black web like markings crackled up her neck, the gaps between them filling in with beautiful colors, reminding KoAnkh of stained glass. Holding her palm out to the monster, a black crest formed on her palm, a chess piece with a rose underneath it and thorns wrapping around it. A wave of energy burst from the girl, shoving the Yummy back. Slowly she walked towards it, still holding the piece of paper in her other hand. The Crow rose to his feet, wiping blood from its beak._

_ "You little bitch! You'll pay for that," again, the crow screeched at her, flaring his wings and taking to the sky to dive at her. The girl didn't even move as she stared at the monster swooping in at her. Suddenly, purple flames surrounded the girl, stopping the Crow Yummy for a moment. Her form shimmered in the heat for a moment before transforming into something completely different, a new sort of monster. Her hair, if you could call it that, was now white and framed a black mask which had a central white sphere in the middle. Her shoulders had transformed into purple armor plates, as well as the rest of her body taking on a blue and purple armor. Black boots clicked against the pavement she began to walk towards the Yummy, several milky white orbs rotating around her new form. With a nod of her head, the pearls shot at the Crow, smashing into it and knocking it to the ground with a loud thud._

_ The bird cackled as he rose to his feet, his hand clasped to his chest. Taking a few steps back, he watched as more orbs circled the girl. "Heh, I didn't know Fangire roamed these parts. I had heard you all had been wiped out years ago," he said, laughing as he looked at his blood covered hand. Another pearl shot at him, causing the Crow to take to the air once again to avoid being hit. Suddenly, the sky turned to night and a very large red moon appeared behind the girl as she continued her slow walk towards the rapidly retreating Yummy. For the first time, the Yummy seemed nervous. "Ugh! I wasn't hungry anyway. Besides, I bet you taste like glass." He spat at her before taking off into the sky in the opposite direction._

_ The girl sighed as once again purple flames surrounded her, the monster form shattering away like broken glass, returning her to the human form. The moon disappeared and the sky turned back to the late morning it had been before. Pulling the piece of paper from her pocket, she checked the address once again before knocking on the door to the Cous Coussier._

_ KoAnkh was frozen; he had no idea what to do. This girl had sudden appeared, turned into some kind of monster and scared off the Crow Yummy that had been pestering them. Now she was knocking on their door, as if nothing had happened. He looked to Ankh, who was trying to hobble onto his one good leg, reaching for the makeshift crutch KoAnkh had made._

_ "Hello? Is anyone home? My boss sent me to help," the girl said, knocking on the door once again, pulling on the handles only to find it locked. She tilted her head in confusion, checking the paper once again before continuing to knock again. "I thought they said someone would be here," she said to herself, confused. Maybe they were still asleep. KoAnkh looked from the door to the hobbling Ankh, what was he supposed to do? _

_ "Let her in…I don't think she will…harm us," Ankh said, leaning against the pillar with a dragon breathing fire to catch his breath. When had the simple act of answer a door become so hard. Oh how Ankh wished he had his full body. Nodding, KoAnkh answered the door, unlocking it and opening it only enough to glare at the girl beyond._

_ "What do you want," KoAnkh asked sharply, eyeing the mysterious girl up and down. She certainly didn't look dangerous, but then again, looks could be deciving. She squatted down to his height, smiling meekly at the little boy. _

_ "I hope I didn't scare you earlier," she said, chuckling nervously to herself as she tucked her brown hair behind her ear. KoAnkh tch'd, crossing his arms over his chest and declaring how he wasn't scared. "My name is Mio, and I was sent here to help you."_

_ The door opened fully as Ankh leaned heavily on his crutch, looking down at the woman curiously. She looked from Ankh to KoAnkh and back a few times, confusion registering on her face. This was not in the briefing. Slowly, she stood and bowed to both of them. "Perhaps it would be easier if we spoke inside I think that bird will be back." Looking over her shoulder, Mio scanned the sky, her eyes serious and fierce. There was more to this young woman than she let on. Ankh made a tch noise as he walked away, starting the long hobble back to his seat. KoAnkh gestured for her to come in, closing the door behind her, making sure it was locked nice and tight. He could only hope Ankh had made the right choice in letting her in._

_ Mio bowed to both Greeeds once again, apologizing for the intrusion as she took a seat on a stool near the bar. KoAnkh returned to his spot next to Ankh, his bravado in full swing as he sat up straight and tall. "Who are you," he asked, a bit confused as to who this person was and why she was in this world. Smiling nervously, she fiddled with the piece of paper with their address on it._

_ "As I said, my name is Mio, and my boss sent me here to help…" Mio started, looking from one Greeed to the other, unsure of whom was in charge of this place. She had not been told there would be TWO people here, especially one in such bad of shape as the older man was. _

_ "You said that, but what can you do? Can you defeat the Crow Yummy? Can you get Ankh and I out of here? Can we finally wake up from this godforsaken nightmare? Can you save us," KoAnkh asked quickly, his eyes glossy as tears began to swell. His hands balled into fists in his lap as he gripped the bottom part of his shirt, wringing it in both hands. "What about Eiji, can you help him? How did you get here? What was that thing you did to scare of the Yummy? What are you?" Mio shrank back a bit with each question, her heart pounding in her chest. She was definitely not prepared for this. _

_ "I-I'm known as a Fangire, I helped Kamen Rider Kiva, Saga, and Ixa a few years back," she said, her hands shaking with nerves. Ankh looked at her for a moment, the fog clearing away a little bit in his mind._

_ "Kamen…Riders. They are good," Ankh mumbled, looking at KoAnkh, his eyes trying to focus on the child. "We help a Rider as well." KoAnkh nodded, taking Ankh's hand in his and squeezing it._

_ "We help OOO remember," said KoAnkh, hoping to stir some of those memories. He silently prayed that Ankh wouldn't remember the awful things KoAnkh had done to him. It might be too much to ask for forgiveness._

_ "OOO…what is…that," asked Ankh, his head lulling to the side to look back at the girl as the fog slowly seeped back into his mind. He silently cursed himself for his incompetence, forced to place such a huge burden on KoAnkh's tiny shoulders. The girl stood up and walked slowly over to Ankh, checking his wounds and the strange deterioration of his body. She shook her head slowly, placing the red satin over Ankh's body._

_ "I don't know if I can do all that, but I can take you to a safe place where that scary Crow can't hurt you. It's a place that is deeper in this world," she said, her expression turning suddenly serious. "It is possible for Eiji to save you once you come with me, but I don't know how he would get to the Underworld." A sad smile played on her lips as she continued, "as to answer how I got here, it's because I'm currently dead in the real world." KoAnkh's eyes widened in surprise as his hand griped Ankh's hand tightly. _

_ "Does that mean Ankh and I are…" KoAnkh began softly, unable to finish the thought. He didn't want to think of himself as dead. Dead meant you couldn't come back to life, that you were gone for good. Mio shook her head, smiling nervously once again._

_ "We don't know for sure actually, since we can't really confirm if you Greeed were ever actually 'alive' to begin with," she said with a shrug, not meeting either Greeed's gaze. She felt really small at the moment, as hope drained from the little boy's face. The older man seemed unaffected by the news, but there was wisdom behind those unfocused eyes. _

_ "Death was one of the things I desired," Ankh said, his mind remembering the sensation of falling, and reaching his hand out to someone…someone important. Someone had needed his help, and Ankh had willingly sacrificed himself to do it. KoAnkh and Mio looked at Ankh with horror on their faces. To Ankh, it was a perfectly normal thing to want, especially for a race that wasn't even sure what it meant to be part of the living. Mio laughed nervously, biting her bottom lip._

_ "Yes, I see…well, as I said, I'm here to save you, but there is only one problem…" she began, looking from one man to the other, her heart breaking. The little boy cared for the older man so much; you could see it on his face. He was doing everything he could to protect Ankh. Oh how Mio wished she could change this, but she knew it was beyond her power._

_ "What is the problem? Is the Crow going to attack again," KoAnkh said, preparing to fight off that damn bird if necessary. He would NOT let anything stop them from freedom. They had been tortured and beaten long enough; it was time to end this game and go home, wherever home was. Mio wrung her hands together as she looked up through her lashes at the two Greeeds, her voice soft and meek as she said,_

_ "The problem is…I can only save one of you."_

**-OOO-**

Eiji's heart pounded in his chest as he and Erika Satonaka sped down the road towards the main building of the Kougami Foundation. Her words echoed in his head, resonating deep within his heart. '_He has found a way to revive Ankh', _Eiji kept repeating to himself, chanting the words, willing them to become true. His hand gripped the broken core in his pocket, the pieces digging into his palm leaving an imprint. So many thoughts bombarded his mind, what would he say to the Greeed when he saw him again? Would the memories still be there? Was any of those dream…things real? Eiji had to know.

Turning the final corner, the impressive Kougami Foundation building came into view. The building had changed little since he last saw it a few years ago. It was still a grand structure made of steel and glass with the blue and white sign outside that told you what it was. As Satonaka swung into the parking spot in the parking garage, she checked her makeup one last time in the rear view mirror before opening the door and stepping out.

"Come on Eiji, Mr. Kougami is waiting," she said, grabbing her purse and the metal brief case along with it. Eiji still sat in the car, unable to move to even unbuckle his seat belt. Why…why was he so scared? Everyone had worked so hard these past few years to bring back Ankh and make sure all the Medals could be used once again to allow him to turn into OOO. He should be excited at knowing Ankh would be revived…so why was he still sitting in the car.

"Oh…yes I'll be there in a moment," he said, laughing at himself for being such a coward. Steeling his nerves, he unclicked his seatbelt and opened the car door, stepping out into the quiet garage. His hand went to his pocket, feeling the broken core resting inside. He was being silly, he needed to man up and take that step. Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, he followed after Satonaka, his heart in his throat.

**-OOO-**

Satonaka knocked on the president's door, a nervous Eiji shifting from foot to foot behind her. She rolled her eyes, why was the guy so nervous? She wanted to call him an idiot for being acting like a child who had been sent to the principal's office. Over the years, she had personally watched this man jump into battle countless times to save people, even taking on fights that he knew he could not win, all with a brave front and not one ounce of fear. Yet standing here, in front of the President's office, the man was white a sheet and panicking. Sighing once again, she opened the double doors to the office and stepped aside, letting Eiji go in before her.

The room was just as Eiji remembered it. There was a large wood desk with some baking supplies on it, a wall of windows overlooking the city below, and a couch with a small table in front of it. Satonaka closed the doors quietly behind her before walking over to the couch and taking a seat. She flipped through some papers, ignoring the rest of the room as she usually did.

Behind the desk, stood a man in a bright red suit, his back to Eiji and his hands clasped behind him. He stared at the city below wondering about this and that. His hair was short and brown, but very neat. Eiji approached the desk and bowed to the man.

"Eiji Hino," the man shouted, startling Eiji a bit. He had forgotten how enthusiastic the man was. "I would say Happy Birthday, but it is not your birthday today." He turned to face the rider, his white apron still tied around him. On the desk in front of him was a white cake with the words "Happy Birthday" written on it in red frosting along with some intricate patterns decorate the top in little star formations using the same red colored frosting. Under the words 'Happy Birthday' was a single red feather.

"N-No, my birthday isn't for a while, Mr. Kougami." Eiji said nervously, his hand gripping the coin through his pocket. The man in the white apron smiled at Eiji before looking down at the cake he had made. So much time had gone into making this simple dessert, and yet only Satonaka would probably eat it, it was her job after all.

"It isn't every day we get to celebrate birthday's as grand as this one though," the leader of the Kougami Foundation laughed as he walked around the desk taking Eiji's hand and shaking it in his. "Today we have a VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY!" He draped an arm around Eiji's shoulder, directing him towards a secondary set of doors that Eiji had never really noticed. Satonaka continued to type away at her computer, rolling her eyes at her boss's antics. She really should ask for a raise and a vacation.

**-OOO-**

Together the men walked down the hall and through several corridors, Eiji's heart pounding so loud he swore Mr. Kougami could hear it. Their boots echoing off the white walls was the only sound that accompanied them on their trek. Every now and then a scientist dressed in a white lab coat and reading some chart in their hands would pass the two men by, glancing up only to give a proper greeting to Mr. Kougami before returning their attention back to whatever they were looking over. Countless times Eiji wondered if any of those boards contained information about Ankh and how he was being revived. Since joining up with the foundation all those years ago, Eiji never heard a word about _**how**_ they were actually planning to revive Ankh. All Eiji's job consisted of was collecting data on the cores. The job of playing Frankenstein was solely left to the Kougami Foundation.

Swallowing his doubt and fear, Eiji and the President walked through two double doors into another science lab. They stood behind some glass with personnel overlooking several computer monitors, numbers and data flashing by at an alarming rate. Apparently, they knew what they were doing and what to look for. Beyond them was a sterile room that looked like some sort of operating room in a hospital. A body rested on the table with doctors and scientist crowded around it, wires and tubes flowing from the body to all sorts of machines.

Memories flashed in Eiji's mind, from his trips before he picked up the OOO Driver Belt for the first time, when he used to go all over the world and help out smaller villages. He remember when he was caught up in that civil war, how so many people had gotten hurt. He distinctly remembered the hospitals, all the people who had been hurt because of the violence going on around them. So many innocent lives ended up on tables like that. There were never enough doctors, never enough hands to reach out and save those asking for it. A cold shiver ran down Eiji's spine as he forced the memories back. There was a time and a place for such journeys back through time in his mind; this was not one of them.

"There he is Eiji, and what a fine specimen he is!" The President shouted taking pride in the work he had done. If this worked out properly, which it should, then this would be a HUGE step in the Core technology. Desire and greed pulsed through Mr. Kougami's system, an arrogant smirk playing on his lips. "We have spent years working on him Eiji and we are now ready, FOR THE FINAL PIECE!" He turned suddenly, pointing his hand at the pocket Eiji kept the Core in. Instinctually, Eiji's hand covered the Core, wanting to keep it safe and away from everyone. Laughing nervously, Eiji pulled the broken core out, looking at the two pieces again, as hope finally exploded in his chest. This was it, what he had been waiting so long for.

"How…how is this all possible," Eiji asked, looking at the body on the table. From where he stood, it seemed to be a generic body, nothing special about it at all. The odd part, and maybe it was just the glass and the lighting, but it appeared that the body had a blank face with zero facial features, no eyes, lips, or nose. He stepped back out of surprise, bumping into an unused chair at a terminal. It had to be the light…had to.

"It's a body made of Cell Medals," Mr. Kougami said, picking up a clip board with some papers on it, flipping through them. "It will still give Ankh the ability to become his Greeed form, but we have managed to grind the Medals to a dust and form them into a body that won't require more Cell Medals to exist and it won't bleed Medals like the Greeed used to. He will live and breathe as a normal human, his senses just the same as any other human. He even gets to keep his same Greeed abilities. Because the body is made from Cell Medals, the owner will have the ability to shift forms. Technically, he would never age, so if he wanted to appear old, he would have to do it himself." He turned to Eiji, a huge smile spread across his face. "We have created AN IMMORTAL BEING!" Eiji winced as the President shouted the last part.

"T-that's good. What about the Core Medals though, wouldn't he wither away or crave them," Eiji asked, concerned about his partner going crazy hunting for his Medals. The President chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head.

"No, the Medals we created for you are simply for OOO to use. We haven't figured out how to make a Greeed's Core Medal yet. Even if he were to consume your medals or any other ones, they would do nothing for him. We have diluted the Cell Medals enough to where they wouldn't cause him to _desire_ anymore. He would be a simple human."

"With all the powers of the Greeed." Eiji continued for the President. "Wouldn't that cause problems for us if Ankh decided to do something awful again?" The President sighed greatly, tilting his head to look at the Rider, giving him a no-nonsense kind of look.

"If you think Ankh is going to cause ANY PROBLEMS," he shouted, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips, "then we won't revive him. I would hate to put this company or any of the city's residence at risk…" Eiji quickly stepped forward, shaking his head and arms.

"No, no, I think Ankh will be just fine. He was never really a bad guy to begin with." He laughed nervously, not sure how much of that statement was true or not, but hoping it at least sounded reassuring.

"That's my boy!" The director shouted, slapping Eiji on the shoulder in a friendly manner, causing Eiji to stumble forward a bit as the President laughed. Several machine beeped inside the room, drawing both men's attention. The doctors and scientists in the room with the body gave Mr. Kougami a thumbs up before exiting the room. A few moments passed before one of the scientists came into the room, removing his mask and protective eyewear.

"All is good to go Mr. President. Now all we need is the Core pieces," The scientist said, stretching his neck from side to side to rid some soreness. Mr. Kougami gestured to Eiji, causing the Rider to step back momentarily. Anxiety and fear flooded Eiji's system as the scientist looked at him, studying him with his knowing eyes. Eiji held the Core pieces close to his chest, not wanting to surrender them. "Ah, you must be Eiji Hino. I'm Yuu Kamio, one of the leading scientists in the lab." The man bowed slightly to Eiji, who returned the bow awkwardly, relaxing a little.

"Nice to meet you sir," Eiji replied meekly. Mr. Kougami stepped forward, slapping Kamio harshly on the shoulder as he had done to Eiji a few moments ago, causing the scientist to stumble.

"Mr. Kamio was Kiyoto Maki's greatest rival when they worked together," Mr. Kougami said, laughing as if it was some great joke. Annoyed slightly, Kamio adjusted his glasses before returning to the subject at hand.

"Yes, I worked with Maki before…the incident," he said, referencing to when Maki had betrayed the Kougami Foundation and had used their technology and money to create a personal Greeed and try to destroy the world so it could be reborn. Eiji shook the memory from his head, his chest suddenly tight from memories of holding Core Medals inside of him. "I spent many years studying the Medals and have developed this body which will essentially give life back to Ankh. He will breathe and experience sensory as any other human would, possibly even better in some areas depending on his Greeed being." The scientist bowed slightly to Eiji and then slightly deeper to Mr. Kougami. "If you two would follow me, we may begin the process.

Eiji stepped forward, his arm reaching and gripping the scientist's lab coat gently to stop him. A question had been burning within him since he started this whole journey to revive Ankh. He was terrified of knowing the answer, terrified that it would break his heart. Not knowing was even worse. Summoning all his courage he decided to ask it. "Is Ankh…is Ankh going to _**remember**_everything from his previous life…with m-I mean…his previous life as a Greeed?" The scientist glanced at Mr. Kougami, who nodded his head in approval.

"We don't know exactly. Cell Medals themselves do not understand memories. They are created from desires, but they know nothing about what those desires mean. It will be up to Ankh to remember." With that said, he turned and left the room. Mr. Kougami gestured for Eiji to follow still gripping the Core pieces tightly.

**-OOO-**

Together, the three men entered the hospital like operating room where the body laid. In here, Eiji finally had a chance to get a good look at the body. It had been true; it really was bald and had no face, causing it to look so cold and lifeless, almost like a mannequin. Another shiver ran down Eiji's spine as he thought about the first Nightmare he had, the one where he and Ankh had been turned into marionette dolls and forced to fight with each other. He prayed silently that Ankh had not been truly part of that dream, or any of the dreams, that it was just his subconscious playing tricks on him.

A nurse and another scientist followed the trio into the small room, checking monitor and disconnecting a few of the lesser cables. Eiji and Mr. Kougami stood on one side of the bed while Kamio stood on the other; adjust some dials and checking a monitor one last time. Finally, he looked at the other men, his face solemn and serious. "Gentlemen, it is time for the ultimate test. Hino, would you please set the Core pieces on Ankh's chest."

Eiji's heart POUNDED in his chest, his head feeling light and dizzy. If he wasn't careful, he was fairly certain he was going to throw up all over the body, Ankh's body. Excitement and anxiety twisted in his gut, causing his hands to shake as he held the Core pieces in his hand. He looked them for a long time, silently praying to whatever deity or stars wanted to listen. '_Please…bring my Greeed home,' _he prayed, holding the Core to his forehead and willing all his emotion and love into it. He wanted his silly Bird Greeed back, simple as that. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he placed the Core over the body's heart.

At first, nothing happened. Kamio checked a dial on a machine next to him, adjusting it ever so slightly before turning back to the body. Slowly, the Core began to sink into the body, one piece sinking in faster than the other. Both Mr. Kougami and Eiji gasped in surprise, the President with a huge smile on his face. One of the assistants behind Kamio took notes on her clipboard.

After the Core fragments had settled, the room was silent except for the beeping of the machines and Eiji's heart. Suddenly a bright red light exploded from the body, causing everyone in the room to shield their eyes. When the light dimmed, it all seemed be contained in the body, causing it to glow and pulse like a heartbeat. The body shimmered, turning silver and moving like the Cell Medals did, filling the room with the eerie sound of metal clanking against metal. The skin shifted, flowing like water until it was able to readjust into a taller form, with what appeared to be feathers and talons.

Suddenly, the chest arched as the body took a deep, gasping breath. Fear and panic erupted in the Greeed, causing him to thrash on the table, his talon's ripping at the cables attached to his body as more and more details seeped into the skin made of medals, the red pulsing light quickening to an alarming rate.

"You need to hold him down," Kamio shouted, grabbing the Greeed's hands to prevent him from destroying anything else. Mr. Kougami grabbed the man's legs as did the nurse standing by. Eiji did his best to hold down Ankh's shoulders, slightly disturbed as he felt the Cell Cores shifting under his hands. "Try talking to him Hino!" Nodding, Eiji turned to the head that was slowly transforming into Ankh's Greeed form.

"Ankh, Ankh it's me Eiji, you have to calm down," Eiji said, his eyes searching the Greeed's face as it became more detailed. His heart wept with so much joy at seeing that beautiful Greeed form in the real world, but he knew he had to save the celebrations for later. "Ankh, I'm right here, I won't leave your side again, I promise!" Still the body thrashed, his back arching as his wings sprouted, knocking over monitors and tables. "ANKH, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME!" He shouted, shaking the body against the table. "YOU HAVE TO RELAX IF YOU WANT TO WAKE UP!"

Finally the Greeed began to calm, the pulsing slowing down as the light dimmed slightly in his body. Color surfaced all over the body, dying the feathers red, yellow, and green. Underneath the feathers was black skin, available for the first time since Ankh hadn't been able to form his protective armor properly. Slowly the Greeed's breathing calmed back down, the pulsing light now gone and all his details had been properly colored. Opening his eye, the Greeed looked around the room in a slight panic.

"W-Where am I," He asked, his throat dry and scratchy. Settling his eye on Eiji, he tilted his head for a moment in confusion as his mind slowly caught up with what was going on. He felt so tired, so groggy. Why couldn't he move? Why did he feel so sluggish, why did his body feel so heavy, and why did his head hurt? He felt as if he had been fighting Uva, Mezool, Gamel, and Kazari all at once for days. Something about this human's smile above him cleared away the fog a bit. "Eiji?"

Tears streamed down Eiji's face as he collapsed on the Greeed, holding him tightly an embrace. "Oh Ankh, Ankh you're alive! You're back! You…you remember me," he sobbed into the Greeed's shoulder. Everyone in the room let go of the now calm Greeed freeing up Kamio and the nurse to run tests on the Greeed's vitals, making sure he would be able to live without the support of the machines. Satisfied with the data, they busied themselves with removing the final cables and monitors from Ankh's body. The Bird Greeed tilted his head in confusion again, his arms awkwardly coming up to pat Eiji on the shoulder, attempting to comfort the sobbing Rider.

"I'm Ankh," the Greeed said, half to himself, half to Eiji. He looked at his own talons, turning them this way and that. There was no purple to them, so he had a complete body, which was good. He mentally checked inside himself feeling the strangeness of the broken Core within. "Are we…I mean, am I awake?" He wondered if that made any sense to the group, but he hoped Eiji at least would understand what he meant. Straightening himself, Eiji wiped away his tears and nodded, a smile blossoming behind the sniffles of tears. With help from the others, Ankh was able to straighten himself as well.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANKH," Mr. Kougami shouted, starling everyone in the operating room. Behind the glass Satonaka held up the cake that Mr. Kougami had finished earlier, but now it had a single candle in the middle. Ankh chuckled slightly at the cake, how foolish. "I hope you are enjoying the new body, it is a gift from the Kougami Foundation." Ankh visibly winced at that comment.

"I'm not very sure I want anything from your Foundation, not after the hell it put me through," he said, flexing the talons on each hand. "Do I have to stay a Greeed from now on?" Eiji shook his head excitedly, grasping Ankh's talons.

"That's the beauty of this technology! You can still shift to your old form or a new form if you didn't want to look so much like Shingo anymore," Eiji said hurriedly, excitement bubbling in him. The Greeed tilted his head to the side once more, trying to recall what he had looked like as a human. Flexing his left arm, Ankh recalled memories of what he used to look like, when he was…alive.

His body began to shimmer once again, the Cell Medals turning silver as his featured shifted. He groaned a bit, gripping the table hard. Slowly, his body turned human, his face forming that of Shingo's, but with blonde hair parted down the side. He had on a white V-neck t-shirt and a black leather jacket that was brown on the inside, the left sleeve of the jacket was a dark red color. Over his legs he wore faded blue jeans which were a bit ripped and destroyed, stains covering the pants. Bit by bit, his body turned back to that of Ankh's human form, his left talon was the final piece to shift to a human form. Letting out a huge grunt, he released the table, trying to catch his breath. He didn't quite remember that hurting so much.

"Ankh…you're…you're back…" Eiji whispered, tears threatening to turn him into a weeping mess all over again. At this moment, Eiji couldn't care less who saw him cry, he was far too happy.

"Please, no more crying, it's embarrassing," Ankh said, holding his hands out defensively for fear of being attacked again by the overly emotional Rider. Carefully, he stood on the floor with his own two legs, gripping the table for support as his legs wobbled a bit. Gradually strength was returning to his body and it felt wonderful.

"Come, we shall go to my office and CELEBRATE your rebirth," Mr. Kougami said, gesturing towards the now open door. "I already have papers for Ankh, declaring him a human being and a basic past." Eiji grabbed Ankh's arm, pulling him towards the door, bouncing with excitement.

"Idiot," was all Ankh said as he was practically dragged to the President's office by Eiji. Mr. Kougami laughed at Ankh's poor predicament, commenting how it would take some time to adjust to the new body, but he would be fine. All Ankh could do was nod his head.

In the back of the Greeed's mind, he smirked as ideas and plans formed. '_Oh, I'll be your 'Ankh' alright, just you wait and see what tricks I have,' _the Greeed thought, chuckling quietly himself as he listened to Mr. Kougami and Eiji babble about the Greeed they thought they had.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** Did you think my story would end here? Of course it wouldn't! I have far too many ideas to let it end just like that. Phew this was a tricky chapter to write, Mio being most difficult of all. I really liked the beginning of this chapter, especially introducing the Fangire to the Dreamworld I've created. It is coming along very well. Are you ready for the next chapter? I hope you are…because I'm not. I'm taking a little break from this while I go to SuperCon and enjoy myself. I'll be cosplaying as Umeko from Dekarangers. Have fun everyone!

Oh, and the scientist Yuu Kamio does not exist in the show, I made him up. That is actually the name of the actor who plays Kiyoto Maki in the OOO series.


	10. Sweets

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 10 – Sweets**

**By ManaGoddess**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did then Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments. All characters from Kamen Rider are owned by the Toei Company.

**Auther's Note****:** Ah chapter ten. This is quite the fun one, as a lot of things will happen. I hope you are all ready for some adventure! Today we will have my final Kamen Rider cameo from the current (at least while writing this he was the current) rider, Kamen Rider Wizard. There won't be any spoilers, as long as you have seen the first two or four episodes and have an idea of what Wizard does. There _might_ be a Kamen Rider 555 (Faiz) reference here, but the cameo is so small you might miss it. I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am.

* * *

Ankh had never been so bored in his _entire_ life. Even when he had to deal with the other Greeeds he had never been this bored; at least they fought and argued so there was some entertainment. Here he was, sitting in the office of the ever so important Mr. Kousei Kougami, president of the Kougami foundation that had help fund the OOO project. The man, sitting in his red suit and white apron, was behind his overly large desk, showing papers that explained the story that would be Ankh's past. He was born in some small village in Japan, went to school at some place they had pointed out to him, and upon graduation went to Egypt for a few years. A few years ago he had returned, getting a job at the Cous Coussier (Chiyoko was happy to provide paper stating that he worked there) and that Ankh was also an employee at the Kougami Foundation. Ankh audibly scoffed at that one. He hated the Kougami foundation since they were the ones who were trying to steal his past and change him.

"Ankh, are you listening," Eiji asked, joy and concern conflicting with his emotions. Ankh really did need to pay attention; he could be questioned about this someday and it would look really suspicious if he got the answers wrong. Stretching out a few muscles and yawning greatly, Ankh straightened in his seat, his legs swaying back and forth.

"Yes, I heard you. After my year with the Kougami foundation I went traveling abroad for the company, searching for clues about the Medals and I just recently returned," Ankh replied in a bored voice, his head leaned back and staring at the ceiling tiles. He wondered how many were up there. It might be more entertaining to count them than listen to these guys talk.

"EXACTLY," Mr. Kougami shouted, startling Ankh and Eiji. Why that man had to be so eccentric about _everything_ was beyond Ankh. The man seemed to shout whenever he felt like it. It was really unnecessary. Ankh was also confused as to why Mr. Kougami's secretary was sitting on the couch eating a cake. Personally, he thought it looked quite disgusting. "Now that we have that covered, we need to discuss a VERY IMPORTANT MATTER!" He stood up, a huge grin on his face as he turned around to look at the city below. "You, Ankh, are going to work for us."

"Huh," asked Ankh, his brows furrowed in confusion as he snapped out of his daydream. This man could NOT be serious. After all the shit the foundation had put him and Eiji through, this company should be bowing at Eiji's feet! Mr. Kougami turned to Ankh, a smirk playing on his lips. "I don't think so."

"Please Ankh let's listen to what he has to say. This company put in a lot of time and effort to bring you back to life," Eiji pleaded, his hand resting on Ankh's arm. The Greeed looked down, his emotions conflicting with each other. He didn't want to get Eiji mad at him, so he gestured for Mr. Kougami to continue. Clearing his throat, Mr. Kougami went on,

"As I was saying, you will need to come in for checkups so we can make sure the Medals are holding together." Picking up the chart on the desk, he flipped through a few pages, his eyes quickly scanning over some details. "We will also need to test your limits as both a Greeed and your human form."

Ankh stood up suddenly, completely enraged. "I will not be some lab rat for you to run your little tests on!" He shouted, his left arm changing into its Greeed form. Eiji stood up, placing himself between the two, laughing nervously as he looked from one man to the other. Mr. Kougami laughed at Ankh's outbreak, spurring on the Greeed's anger even more.

"I'm sure he doesn't mean it like that Ankh. They probably just want to make sure you aren't deteriorating. If they can detect it early, they would be able to reverse it, right?" Eiji looked at Mr. Kougami, trying to smile confidently for Ankh. Turning away with a 'tch', Ankh walked away from the desk to the door and put his hand on the knob.

"Where are you going Ankh," Eiji asked taking a step towards Ankh. The Greeed let out a long-drawn out sigh. What would he really say at a moment like this? He searched his memory for the right answer, his eyes on his hand that was wrapped around the smooth, golden door knob.

"Sweets," the Greeed said, a smile playing at his lips. That really did sound quite delicious, even if he wasn't quite sure what delicious or sweets were. Today would be an interesting day as he tested out his new body. He hoped being human was as wonderful as it sounded.

"I don't think there are any places near here that sell ice candies Ankh," Eiji said, his face falling slightly. All he wanted to do was make his partner happy, happy to be alive once more. Lifting his head once more and setting his determination to its max levels, he smiled. "I'm sure there is a place not too far though! I'll be more than happy to get you one, since I still owe you part of the year's supply and-" he was cut off by Ankh turning around quickly.

"No! I don't want an ice candy," Ankh said sternly, his face dead serious. A look of panic shot across Eiji's face as concern filled the Rider. Never once had Ankh EVER refused an ice candy; usually it was Eiji telling HIM no. He tilted his head and looked at the Greeed, trying to figure out if everything was okay and if the revival had really gone as well as they all had hope. "I mean, I want to try a different sweet, something new." Ankh looked from Eiji to Mr. Kougami, his eye twitching slightly as the façade he had to play. "Hey, where is a good place around here for sweets?"

Mr. Kougami looked at the Greeed as a wicked smile spreading wide on his face. There was something in the way he watched Ankh that said he knew more than he was letting on. Of course he would go along with it; they all had their specific parts to play. "There is a new food truck that has recently taken started coming around a few blocks down. It's called the DONUT SHOP HUNGRY," he shouted, causing both Ankh and Eiji to step back. Mr. Kougami smiled broadly at the two. "It's absolutely WONDERFUL! You should go enjoy it. Tell the Manager that I recommended you." He laughed whole heartedly as he dismissed the two with a wave of his hand, turning his back to them to once again look at the city below.

"T-Thank you for everything Mr. Kougami," Eiji said, bowing deeply to the man he would be forever grateful to. Things were really starting to look up for the Rider once again, especially now that he had his partner back. Mr. Kougami waved them off with once again, never turning from the window. Eiji collected Ankh and together they left the office.

Mr. Kougami watched the men leave through the reflection in his windows, smirking the whole time. Something had obviously gone wrong in Ankh's revival, but he wasn't quite sure _what_ exactly that was. He would watch and wait, testing the waters to see what was really in there. His scientists had told him that Ankh's core held many things, especially dark things. Science was never really sure what would happen in experiments, sometimes it was good, sometimes it was bad. This was a part of science. He was giddy for the next experiment.

"Who has a birthday today Satonaka," he asked, turning back to his desk to begin preparation for making another cake. His lovely secretary and assistant, Satonaka, typed away at the computer, her face completely bored as she finished another slice of Ankh's birthday cake.

"Takashi Ukaji in accounting has a birthday today sir, he turned 50," she replied, drinking her coffee. Her boss flashed his borderline psychotic grin as he sifted flour into a glass bowl.

"Well then, HAPPY BIRTHDAY UKAJI," he screamed, causing Satonaka to roll her eyes as she returned to typing away at the computer, finishing some files for the company. Tonight she would probably have dinner at that strange dinosaur curry restaurant she had so much about; apparently they had really spicy curry. That would be really nice, especially after eating this whole cake again.

**-OOO-**

Eiji was worried about Ankh. Ever since their talk with Mr. Kougami, Ankh's personality just seemed a bit off. Then again, Ankh had only been revived for a few hours, so there could be a bit of a side effect. It didn't matter, Ankh was back in Eiji's life and that was the most important part. Smiling to himself as he tried to calm his still pounding heart, Eiji grabbed Ankh's hand, pulling him along to the food truck Mr. Kougami had mentioned.

Up ahead, the two spotted a pink and yellow truck parked with a few tables with chairs set up near it. A young man, the assistant it would seem, was cleaning one of the tables after another guest had left. He shook his head as he listened to the other person in the truck chat with the only other customer nearby. The assistant picked his head up as he heard Eiji and Ankh approach.

"Welcome to the Donut Shop Hungry! You can take your order at the window then have a seat and we will bring it to you! Make sure to ask about our new donuts today," He said, smiling to both Eiji and Ankh as they stood in line behind a man in a black long coat with short light brown hair. Inside the cart was a man dressed as a woman, wearing a very large blonde wig and pink uniform. She smiled at the customer, laughing and explaining the donut she held in her hand.

"Haruto, darling, you would _love_ this one! It is my newest creation, a donut with strawberry filling inside of it, covered with chocolate frosting! Doesn't it sound delicious," she asked, holding out a donut on a plate to the customer, Haruto, her eyes lit up with hope. The man shook his head, planting his hands on his hips.

"You try every time I'm here to get me to try something new, but you know what I'm going to ask for," he said, smirking and chuckling at the Manager's reaction. She sighed dramatically, putting the donut back in its display case and filling a small bag with a few Plain Sugar donuts.

"Plain with sugar right? I will get you to try another one someday," she vowed, laughing at the man. Haruto reached out with both hands and took the bag. On his left hand a large red ring sparkled on his middle finger and on his right hand a black ring with what appeared to be a hand shape on it caught the sunlight for a moment. The man turned to find a seat, nodding to both Eiji and Ankh as he walked passed. "Welcome to Donut Shop Hungry! What can I get you gentlemen today?" The Manager smiled at the two, leaning on the display case with her head on top of both her arms. Ankh tilted his head at the woman and then focused on the display case.

"What is a donut," Ankh asked, poking the display case and becoming confused when it didn't move or give way. He continued to poke it in different areas, trying to get at the donuts that were behind the case until Eiji had to grab his hand and pull it away. The Manger looked at the two men and laughed.

"You boys are cute. A donut is a fried dough confectionery and comes in lots of different flavors. We sell all kinds of donuts from plain sugar like that gentleman over there is eating," she said, gesturing towards Haruto who was thoroughly enjoying his pastry, "to ones made of chocolate, are fruit filled, and even some with nuts!" She giggled splitting a donut in half and setting both halves on a plate and handing them over to Ankh and Eiji. "Here, try a bite." Hesitantly, they accepted the donuts with a bow of gratitude and took a bite.

"Oh wow! This is really good, what kind is it," Eiji asked, taking another bite and making sure to use the donut to gather all the loose sugar on the plate. It was soft and delicate like a cake, but not as filling or heavy. It was delicious. The Manager giggled and clapped her hands excitedly.

"That is our Plain Sugar donut, one of the most basic styles. Would you like to try another type," She asked hopefully, opening the case with her hand hovering towards one of the more exotic donuts. Eiji smiled nervously and waved his hands no.

"I'll just have another Plain Sugar donut please," he replied, causing the Manager to lean on the display case and fake sob. "What about you Ankh, what do you think?" Eiji turned to face Ankh, and was taken aback in surprise.

Ankh had not moved since his first bite. His eyes were as large as saucers and his body was completely frozen. _What…what is this…?_ Ankh asked himself, his tongue absorbing all the flavors of the donut. He was confused about this new taste, and the texture! Ignoring Eiji's question he shoved the rest of the donut into his mouth then held the plate out the Manager. "More," he said his face serious and his voice leaving no room for questions. The Manager and Eiji exchanged nervous looks, but she put another Plain Sugar donut on the plate then handed Eiji another Plain Sugar donut.

"Ankh why don't you go find us a seat while I pay," he said, reaching into his pockets and pulling out a pair of folded up underwear in a bright red patter with tiny cutesy dragons on it. Unfolding the boxers, he counted out his money and handed it to the Manager.

Ankh picked the table right next to the other customer, staring at the donut as if it was a mystical artifact to be treasured. He broke a small piece off at and ate it again, closing his eyes and savoring the moment. The man's chuckle from the table next to him broke him out of his trance.

"I love Manager, but her Plain Sugar donuts are the best. Every time I come here she attempts to get me to try something else, but I already know these are my favorite," He said, taking another bite of the donut and savoring the flavor as Ankh did. It had been a while since Haruto had truly enjoyed a donut like this. Eiji sat down next to Ankh and sampled his donut as well.

"I think you are right, these are really good. Maybe we should bring some back for Chiyoko, don't you Ankh," Eiji asked, smiling to Ankh. He was glad the Greeed was acting like his old self, at least around sweets. It was good to know that the body still allowed him to taste as well as he used to when he was using the Detective's body. Turning back to the man in the black jacket, Eiji introduced himself, "I'm Eiji Hino by the way and this is Ankh…Minato!" Eiji barely remembered the surname they had given Ankh recently. The other customer nodded to both men, smiling as he enjoyed a second donut.

"I am Haruto Soma, it is nice to meet a fellow Plain Sugar fan," he said as he took another bite of the delicious pastry. He could live off these for the rest of his days, they were that good. "One day I might try something else, but for now, I'll stick with my Plain Sugar." The Manager and the Worker exchanged an excited look at over hearing Haruto. They hunched their heads together, talking very quickly and giggling.

"I think those two are plotting something," Eiji commented as he finished off his donut.

Bells chiming caught the group's attention, as several children ran out of the elementary school that was nearby, their laughter filling the small park where the donut truck had set up shop for the day. Parents were waiting by the school for kids to come out, smiling and asking how their day went. One girl caught Ankh's attention, her shoulder length brown hair and kind smile seemed familiar. She wore a simple black knee length dress with a black hairdresser's apron over it. Kneeling, she opened her arms as a young five year old boy ran to her to give her a big hug. Standing, she held her hand out to the little boy with brown hair in his elementary school uniform. Together they started to wonder near the Donut Shop Hungry, the boy chatting about his day. The boy stopped suddenly as his eyes met Ankh's, holding for a moment.

"Mommy, I want a donut," the boy said, pointing towards Ankh who was about to take a bite of his second donut that has mysteriously appeared thanks to Eiji. The woman looked to the group and waved, smiling a bit nervously.

"Now Masao, you can't have that. We have to go home and prepare dinner for Papa and your Uncle Taiga. They have been working hard all week and we were going to surprise them, remember," she asked, ruffling the boy's hair. He pouted and looked at the ground defeated as hope drained from his young face.

"I guess…" he said, his shoe nudging a loose stone on the ground. "But can we make some donuts after, Momma? Please, please?" He bounced from foot to foot, tugging on his mother's arm causing her to laugh at her son's antics. She picked him up, nuzzling her nose to his, causing him to giggle.

"Of course we can, let's get going," she replied, setting her son back down on the ground and taking his hand once more.

Ankh watched the exchange, his donut forgotten. There was something extremely familiar about that woman, something that was on the tip of his tongue. He was confused about her antics as well. It made no sense to Ankh to coddle the child as she did, talking to him sweetly and crouching down to his level while talking to him. Greeeds didn't do anything resembling that. He had to know more.

"Eiji, what was that about," Ankh asked sharply, nodding his head towards the mother and child, who was now talking about a drawing he did of his father. Eiji and Haruto turned to look at the family, smiling wistfully at memories.

"That would be a mother and son. When a child is born, usually the mother takes care of them until they are old enough to live on their own. They help out a lot around the house as well, taking care of things and making sure everything runs smoothly," Eiji said, leaning back against his chair and smiling. "My mother was sweet when I was a child, she used to tell me stories before I went to bed, stories of places around the world. Those stories are why I decided to travel and help people when I was older." Emotions flashed in Eiji's eyes as he turned away, focusing on his donut.

"My mother loved me," Haruto said, surprising the other two. Haruto's eyes followed the family as they clouded with emotion and memories from a long time ago. "She was very supportive of me, as was my father, always telling me that I was their hope. I made a promise to them that I would help as many people as I could, that I would bring hope to the world." Silence hung in the air as the two men wondered through memories. Haruto wiped a tear from his cheek and chuckled quietly at some memory from childhood. Ankh looked from one man to the other, and growled.

"I want a mother," Ankh declared, standing up suddenly and knocking over his chair. Eiji tilted his head in confusion, reaching out to the Greeed only to be smacked away by Ankh's sudden appearance of his wings. The Greeed jumped into the air, taking off after the woman and her child.

Ankh landed in front of them, the woman pushing her son behind her back and getting into a defensive position. Ankh continued to stare at the woman, trying to place where he had seen her face. She looked so familiar, as if he had seen her in a dream.

"Mio," he said, his eyes widening as he reached out with his hand. "Mio, you were able…to save him…and you are alive..." He slowly stepped closer to the woman, ignoring the warning glare she gave as she slowly backed away, her son clinging to her dress.

"I am not Mio; she died a long time ago. My name is Mari Sonoda and this is my son Masao Kurenai. What do you want," she snapped at him, glaring at the man. She had been mistaken for this 'Mio' woman so many times; it was beginning to get annoying. Ankh stopped, looking from the woman to her son, and tilting his head to the side.

"I want…a mother," he said, tears starting to swell in his eyes. Suddenly he lunged forward, gripping the woman by the front of her dress. "YOU WILL BE MY MOTHER!" Ankh shouted, shaking the woman slightly. Pushing her son back, the woman punched Ankh in the gut, causing him to double over in pain. Rage registered on his face as he snarled at the woman.

"Ankh no! She can't be your mother, stop it," Eiji shouted, running towards Ankh. The Greeed made a tch noise and shoved the woman aside, stalking towards Eiji and the tiny food truck. Haruto stood behind Eiji, switching the ring on his left hand from the red one to a green one.

"Why can't she be my mother," Ankh asked his heart pounding as his left arm turned into that of his Greeed form. The mother picked up her child and ran, the child clinging tightly to her as he watched Ankh flare his wings once again. "Why do you all get mothers, yet I can't have one? You all get this thing called 'love', but I can't? IT'S NOT FAIR!" He shouted, throwing a fireball at the two men.

"**Driver on, please**," Eiji heard from behind him. Turning, he looked at Haruto, who held his right hand over the strange hand shaped belt buckle. Suddenly a Rider Belt appeared around his waist, connecting with itself. Switching two sliders on either side of the belt, the hand shifted from being a right hand to that of a left hand. "**Sha Ba Do Be Touch Henshin,**" the belt sang a few times, causing Eiji's eyes to widen. Holding the green ring up, he flicked a silver part down, his eyes glaring at Ankh, who had stopped walking and now looked just as confused as Eiji.

"Eiji, you need to get these people out of here. I'll take care of this…phantom," Haruto said, glaring at Ankh. "Henshin." Everything clicked for Eiji at that moment, this man was a Kamen Rider and he thought Ankh was a monster.

Haruto placed his left hand over the belt, the ring and the belt glowing with green light. "**Hurricane, please**,"the belt chimed as he held his left hand above him, a green circle forming above him. Inside the circle held runes of four different elements. Slowly, the circle began to spin as Haruto jumped into it. "**Fuu Fuu Fuu**"the belt chanted, slowly picking up speed as the green light surrounded Haruto. "**FuuFuuFuuFuu**,"the belt sang once again.

Standing atop the circle, Haruto had transformed into a Kamen Rider. His helmet was similar to the green ring on his hand, the same color with metal outlines for his eyes. He wore a long black trench coat, the inside the same green as his helmet. There were several green squares on his chest and his cuffs had a green gem on them as well. Holding his hand up to show the ring to Ankh, Haruto said, "it's showtime."

Ankh growled at the man. How dare he threaten him?! His wings flared once more as red light surrounded Ankh, transforming him into his true Greeed form. Flapping his wings hard, he took to the sky, charging Haruto. The two clashed in the sky as a stunned Eiji looked on, paralyzed by fear and awe. Somewhere in the background, a child's voice pierced his stunned state.

"Mommy, we should call Daddy and Uncle Taiga, the magician needs our help," the boy from earlier said, tugging on his mother's dress once again, reaching into one of the pockets of her smock for her cell phone. She took it out of his hand, shaking her head at the airborne fight.

"No Masao, we don't need to call them. Wataru and Taiga aren't part of this fight, this is for other Kamen Riders," she said, taking the phone out of her son's hands and putting it back in its proper pocket.

"Get out of here," Eiji shouted to the woman, remembering that he too was a Rider and that other people were in danger. He put the OOO driver around his waist, the belt forming around him and snapping into place. The woman met his eyes and nodded. She picked up her son, glancing one more time at the strange fight, before they ran towards home.

Eiji took out the three medals, sliding the red, yellow, and green cores into their respective slot. OOO Scanner in hand, he slid it over the three cores, the belt chiming as it passed. "Henshin," Eiji said, running towards the fight in the sky. The belt sang, "**Taka, Tora, Batta! TaToBa! TaToBa TaToBa!**"The three cores surrounded Eiji, their light transforming him into OOO. The bottom part of his chest emblem glowed brightly, that light transferring to his legs as he jumped into the sky, grabbing a hold of Ankh and causing them both to hit the ground together.

"He's a…Kamen Rider," Haruto said to himself, landing on the ground with a soft gust of wind. OOO crouched on the ground between Ankh and Haruto, his arms spread out wide to protect his Greeed.

"Ankh, you need to go home now. Go to the Cous Coussier, tell Chiyoko what's going on," Eiji said quietly, panting as he tried to catch his breath. He had never seen Ankh so hostile, especially towards him.

"Why would I want to go to that nightmare of a place, it hasn't done me any good so far," Ankh scoffed, holding his arm in pain. The damn Rider had managed to land an attack on him. "Besides, I have to repay this piece of shit for the-"

"GO HOME NOW ANKH," Eiji shouted, shoving the Greeed back. "You will do as I say damn it, let me protect you!" Suddenly, Ankh began to laugh.

"Protect me? You already promised to protect me and keep me safe, look how good of a job you are doing so far! You are the WORST person to protect people, especially those you supposedly cared about! No Eiji, I don't need your protection. I freed myself from that blasted nightmare without your help," Ankh shouted, standing and looking down at the poor excuse for a Rider. He laughed once again before looking somberly at OOO. "He is still trapped Eiji, you better hurry if you want to save him. I'll be at the restaurant if you need MY help." His sharp talons made contact with the small of Eiji's back as he kicked him, pushing the rider over. Ankh flared his wings once again, taking to the sky and flying towards the Cous Coussier. Haruto turned, switching the sliders on his belt once again and changing the ring on his right hand.

"No stop, please," Eiji pleaded, dashing forward and grabbing Haruto's hands with both of his. "Please, don't go after him, it's all a misunderstanding." Eiji shifted the OOO Driver on his own belt, canceling the transformation. Haruto nodded, the same magical green circle from earlier appearing above his head and traveling down his body, causing him to transform back into his normal form.

"I think you better start explaining things before he destroys part of the city," Haruto said. "**Leparch Magic Touch Go**," the belt sang as Haruto pulled a red ring from his right pocket and placed it on his right hand before sliding it over the belt once more. "**Garuda, please**," the belt sang as a square appeared. Pieces popped out of it like a toy and assembled into a red bird. Taking the ring off, he put it into the bird's stomach. "Keep an eye on him." The bird chirped and flew off after Ankh.

"I guess I should start off at the beginning, I'm Kamen Rider OOO," Eiji said, taking a seat at one of the tables that was still standing. Haruto held his hand out to Eiji.

"I'm Kamen Rider Wizard, let's try to get along," Haruto said, shaking the fellow Rider's hand before taking a seat.

**-OOO-**

Haruto sat silently as Eiji explained the situation at hand. Ankh, who was known as a Greeed, had been Eiji's partner while they fought the other Greeed, who were bad. Eiji became Kamen Rider OOO with the power of core medals and was able to defeat their great evil because Ankh had sacrificed himself. Several years later, Ankh was finally revived, but has been acting a bit strange. According to Eiji, he was just confused, which is understandable.

"And that's where we are now. I was told I needed to do other things to save Ankh, something involving the Orpheus mythology and dreams," Eiji said, smiling to himself. "It would appear I didn't need to do that that after all. He is back, so that is good, but he isn't…" he trailed off, looking at his hands as they gripped his shirt.

"He isn't who he used to be. At least, that is what it sounds like," Haruto said, leaning his elbows on the table to look at the fellow Rider. "Something isn't adding up, we are missing a piece." He tapped his chin with his index finger, frowning. "What did you mean about dreams and Orpheus?"

"Oh, I started having dreams about Ankh and KoAnkh…I mean Lost Ankh, Ankh's other half. Someone told me that it was in those dreams I would be able to save them. Another person said that the Orpheus myth would be important too, but I don't understand what it means." Haruto frowned, trying to remember all the parts of the myth.

"Orpheus went to the Underworld to get the soul of his dead wife back, right?" Eiji nodded to Haruto's question, frowning as he tried to follow the train of thought. Eiji had spent hours and hours reading over the myth, trying to figure out where it would be useful. Haruto reached into one of his pockets and pulled out an orange ring and set it on the table.

"What's that?" Eiji asked, picking up the strange ring and examining the stone in the light. Haruto smiled gently, watching the Rider.

"It is a special ring that allows me to go into people's Underworlds. If they fall into despair I have to go in and save them. I don't know if it is any help, but that is one of my special powers." Suddenly, Eiji's phone rang. Excusing himself, he handed the ring back to Haruto and answered the phone.

"Hello? This is Eiji," Eiji said. He was surprised as a very excited Chiyoko was on the other end, her voice a mixture of joy and worry.

"Eiji, I'm so glad you answered! Ankh…Ankh he's back," she said, excitement bubbling in her voice. Sobbing could be heard from the background. "Something is wrong though, you need to come home now." Eiji looked Haruto, his brows furrowed in worry.

"I know Ankh is back, but what is wrong, what's going on," Eiji asked, standing and collecting his things. Haruto remained in his seat as he listened to the conversation, unsure if he should get up to follow the other Rider.

"When he walked in, he was dressed as a monster! Gotou was here and told me it was Ankh. I gave him a hug and started talking with him, offering him an ice candy and suddenly he broke down crying! I…I don't know what to do. He was saying something about a mother and how everyone uses him," she said. Eiji could hear her pacing the kitchen of the restaurant. "You would think he was giving up hope on living or something!"

Eiji looked at Haruto, his eyes going wide. "Or going into Despair," he said, his heart kicking into overdrive as he gestured for Haruto to follow him. Haruto nodded, gathering his things and taking out his own cell phone. "Did he say anything else," Eiji asked Chiyoko.

"Yes, he said that he wasn't Ankh. Eiji, what does he mean, if he isn't Ankh than who is he?!" Eiji shook his head and then remembered she couldn't see him through the phone.

"I don't know Chiyoko, but we will find out. I'll be home soon." He hung up the phone and turned to Haruto, who was looking through his contacts to find someone. "What do we do now?" Eiji asked, holding his phone tight in his hand. A serious look remained on Haruto's face as he found the number he needed.

"I'm going to make a phone call then we are heading to your place. I can open a portal to his Underworld and we can see what exactly is going on. We can't do this alone though, so I'm finding us some help," Haruto said, hitting the call button and holding the phone to his ear as the two started walking towards the Cous Coussier.

"But, who is going to help us," Eiji asked, leading the way. A smile played at Haruto's lips as he listened to the phone ring.

"I met a man here at the donut shop the other day and I think he will be able to help. I just hope he is there today," he replied. Finally someone picked up the line on the other end. "Good afternoon Airi, would Sakurai happen to be there today?" Eiji's eyes widened as he almost tripped. No, those couldn't be the same Airi and Sakurai.

**-OOO-**

Airi smiled into the phone, looking around the café for the man who had so much enjoyed her coffee earlier this morning. Spotting Sakurai by the telescope she called him over and handed him the phone. Confused, Sakurai answered the call.

"Sakurai? It's Haruto, we met the other day," Haurto's voice said through the phone. There was a serious tone to his voice, telling Sakurai that something was amiss.

"Yes, I remember you, Wizard correct," Sakurai asked, double checking that he had the right person he was thinking of. Sakurai had met Haruto at the Donut Shop Hungry a few days earlier and had spent a good part of the afternoon talking.

"I need your help, we have a big situation and I'm not sure if you are going to believe it or not," Haruto said, causing Sakurai to chuckle and shake his head. Sakurai watched Airi serve some other customers, her two fans sitting at the other end of the counter, drooling over the poor owner. It was a shame they didn't know she was already taken.

"Does it have anything to do with Core Medals and Kamen Rider OOO?" There was a pause as Haruto stuttered for a moment, trying to figure out how Sakurai already knew. "I met him this morning. I guess things happened already?"

"Yeah they did, we are going to need a lot of help." Sakurai reached into his wallet and pulled out some money to give Airi for all the drinks and snacks he had enjoyed throughout the morning. She seemed sad that he was leaving, but waved goodbye none the less. Pulling out his pocket watch and running his fingers over the engraving on the back, he checked the time. Perfect, ZeroLiner would be here soon.

"I know some people that can help. I'll see you at the Cous Coussier. Good luck Wizard."

"Good luck to you Zeronos," Haruto said, calling Sakurai by his Kamen Rider name. Chuckling to himself, Sakurai hung up his phone and turned to Airi who was watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"I'll be back, Airi. Don't forget about going to the Cous Coussier later, I want to see how they do the restaurant tonight," he called out to the owner of the library and café, bowing to her slightly. He waited a few more seconds before opening the door. Instead of the normal outside, a large dark green train pulled up to the door, a man dressed in green, black, and silver wearing a mask was there to greet him.

"Yuuto! You're back," the strange man said, stepping aside to let Sakurai on the train. The door shut quietly behind the two, a train whistle filling the tiny café.

**-OOO-**

Eiji and Haruto entered the star themed restaurant, Eiji more than a bit lost as to what Haruto had planned as help for this. Instead of Chiyoko down stairs, Shintaro Gotou greeted them, wearing his strange, feathery Garuda costume that fit with the day's theme.

"I'm glad you're here Hino, I was worried I would have to drag Ankh up outside to fight him. He gave Chiyoko quite a scare in his Greeed state. Would you inform me about what is going on," the former employee of the Kougami Foundation asked, setting down a few plates that would be used when the restaurant opened later in the afternoon. Haruto did his best to hide his giggles behind his hand. "Who is this person?"

"Kamen Rider Wizard, Haruto Soma. He is here to help with all of this. I'll explain the rest to you later Gotou, I'm terribly sorry," Eiji said, bowing apologetically to Gotou, who looked even more confused now. "Where is Ankh?"

"He is upstairs in your room. This is a fellow Kamen Rider," Gotou asked, gesturing to Haruto who simply waved as he followed Eiji upstairs. Unsure of what to really do, Gotou just stayed downstairs and prepared the restaurant to be opened. Today was getting weirder and weirder by the moment. He was starting to question if it was a good idea to help out Chiyoko. Who was he kidding, he'd always help her out, she was too nice not to. Besides, it allowed him to work with Hina Izumi. A faint blush crept on his cheeks as he remembered Chiyoko telling him she was coming over. Of course he had hoped she was coming over for a different reason than to see Ankh.

**-OOO-**

Eiji opened the door to his tiny attic room, his heart bursting in his chest. "ANKH," he shouted, startling the people in the room. Hina greeted him by the door, her heart pounding in her chest as she turned to look at Eiji. Behind her Ankh laid on the bed, still in his Greeed form with his head resting in Chiyoko's lap as he hiccupped.

"Eiji, what happened? All of a sudden Ankh burst in the restaurant, demanding sweets. Chiyoko was so happy to see him she called me before giving him a bunch of ice candies she had been saving for him. Then he just burst into tears and started crying," Hina said, looking at the hiccupping Greeed as Chiyoko brushed his feathers back from his face, making soothing noises and humming. Chiyoko looked up at Hina and Eiji and smiled sweetly at them both, her motherly ways kicking in.

"He said something about wanting a mother. I tried to comfort him but then he just shouted to stop calling him Ankh before he broke down completely. With Hina's help we got him up here and I've been sitting with him ever since," Chiyoko said softly, rubbing the Greeed's back gently. "Who is this person you brought with you? I have an extra costume if he wants to work." A smile played at her lips as she winked at Haruto.

"Oh, this is Haruto. He is a friend of mine," he said, gesturing to the young Rider behind him. Haruto stepped forward, waving to them both and feeling quite out of his element. "Haruto, this is Hina, a fellow worker here at the restaurant, and Chiyoko, the owner of the Cous Coussier." The small group exchanged small greetings as Eiji squatted down next to his bed, keeping eye level with Ankh…or whoever was in this body.

"How are you feeling Ankh," Eiji asked, reaching out to place his hand on the Greeed's arm. The Greeed pulled back, hiding his face in Chiyoko's Greek Goddess like skirt, hiccupping from the tears he had shed. Eiji felt like shit. He felt so low and like trash. How could his partner hate him, had he said something wrong? What did he need to do for an apology? "Would you like an ice candy? I can go downstairs and get you one Ankh." The Greeed's hand shot out, pushing Eiji away from him.

"I don't know how many times I have to say it, I'm not Ankh," the bird Greeed shouted, turning his back to everyone, but still resting his head on Chiyoko's lap, new tears rolling down his cheeks. Silence hung in the air as they listened to the silent sobs of the Greeed.

"I think I know what can help," Haruto said, slipping an orange ring that looked like it had a dragon coming out of a circle. He put his hand over the belt, causing it to chime "**Connect, please**." He placed his hand in the air next to him causing a small red magical circle like the one he used to transform to appear. Reaching through the circle Haruto felt around for a moment before pulling out a bag with the Donut Shop Hungry logo on it. "Hey, I've got some Plain Sugar donuts if you want one." This perked the Greeed's curiosity. Slowly the Greeed sat up, sniffling and rubbing the tears off his face. Haruto offered him a donut, which he took happily, kicking his feet against the bed.

"He's like a child," Hina whispered to Eiji as she watched Haruto pull out another ring and create some sort of tiny unicorn. The horse pranced around his hand before jumping on to the Greeed's lap and dancing around. Eiji watched the scene for a moment, listening to Ankh's almost innocent laugh. Suddenly, a light bulb clicked on in Eiji's head as things started to fit together. Hesitant, he crouched in front of Ankh, who held the bag of donuts close to him unwilling to share his special treat.

"If you aren't Ankh…then who are you," Eiji asked, already knowing the answer. The Greeed licked sugar off his fingers, savoring the sweet taste before reaching into the bag to grab another one.

"I'm surprised you forgot me Eiji, I'm KoAnkh. Unfortunately I don't know how to transform into my old self; I can't seem to remember…" The red and green Greeed said, looking down sadly and setting the donut back down in the bag, not meeting Eiji's stunned gaze. "I'm sorry for tricking you, I didn't mean to. I was just scared you would make me go back. That monster…that monster is still there." Tears swelled in his eyes again as he scrubbed his face again with his hands. Chiyoko hugged KoAnkh, leaning his head on her shoulder. The three humans looked to Eiji for an explanation. Sighing, he quickly explained. Haruto and Chiyoko nodded, having no idea what was going on, but still going along with it. Hina backed away slowly, looking for something to use as a weapon.

Suddenly, KoAnkh doubled over, grasping his chest and grunting in pain. Chiyoko rubbed his back as Eiji quickly sprang to his feet, shaking the Greeed's shoulder gently.

"KoAnkh, what's going on, are you okay," he asked frantically wondering how well the body really was holding up. KoAnkh shook his head, groaning in pain, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"No…it hurts. It feels like something is trying…to rip through me…" KoAnkh said gasping as another shock of pain hit him. A strange blue crack appeared on his face, splitting from his temple to his chin. Haruto stepped forward, his face full of determination and seriousness. He may not know what was going on, but he knew that crack. Gently, he helped Ankh, or KoAnkh, or whatever this strange bird was called, lay back down in Chiyoko's lap. The boy tossed and turned a bit, crying as he grasped at his chest. "Make it stop…" he whimpered, fresh tears rolling down his face.

"Ms. Chiyoko, I need to you take care of him. He is going to be in a bit of pain for a while. He has given in to Despair and needs to be guided back to the light," Haruto said, taking out the orange ring from this afternoon out of his pocket and slipping it on KoAnkh's talon. Haruto slid the sliders on his belt twice, resetting the position to the original. Picking up KoAnkh's hand gently, more cracks forming on his hand, he placed the ringed hand over his belt. "**Engage, please**," the belt chimed as KoAnkh went suddenly limp, his body like a lead weight. Eiji and Chiyoko moved the Greeed so he could rest on her lap. A red magical circle appeared over the sleeping body, rotating slowly.

Haruto handed Eiji a red ring with a fire dragon it. Eiji looked up at the Rider, tilting his head in confusion as he took the ring. "Shouldn't you be going," Eiji asked, looking at the ring in his hand. Haruto shook his head, looking from Eiji to the knocked out Greeed.

"You need to go. This is something you have to do. That ring will get you out of there. Just remember," Haruto said, stepping forward and placing a comforting hand on Eiji's shoulder. "You aren't alone. There are a lot of people standing behind you to help. You are his last hope." Eiji nodded, slipping the OOO driver around his waist and sliding in the Cores. The OOO Scanner chimed over the Cores, **Taka Toro Batta**, the belt sang. Once again, the cores surrounded him and transforming him into the TaToBa OOO.

"Good luck Eiji," Chiyoko said, holding onto KoAnkh's hand and squeezing it comfortingly. OOO nodded his head, slipping the ring onto his hand.

"Wait for me Ankh and KoAnkh. I promise to save you both," Eiji said before jumping into the magical circle and disappearing. The last thing OOO heard before dropping into the portal was a train whistle.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** All done! Sorry for being so long (again) but I had a lot I wanted to say. I was planning on having a larger fight scene between Ankh, OOO, and Wizard, but decided to cut it. I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Haruto was quite difficult to write though, since his personality is a bit bland. I tried though. After ten chapters, we are finally going into the Underworld. Are you ready? I hope so, because it is going to be quite a journey.

For those who aren't sure of the references, Mari Sonoda is from Kamen Rider 555 (Faiz), she was the rider's assistant in that show. She is also played by the same actress as Mio from Kiva. In this story, she would have wed Wataru and had their child, Masao Kurenai. In the show, they never told you who Wataru married, so I made it up. Based on the show, the son could have been born around 2009.

Takashi Ukaji, the birthday boy, is actually the actor who plays Mr. Kougami. The Dionsaur themed curry house is Dino Curry from Abarangers. I've been watching that show a bit and wanted to sneak that in there.

Please leave a review!


	11. Rabbit Hole

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 11 –Rabbit Hole**

**By ManaGoddess**

**Disclaimer****:** I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments. All characters from Kamen Rider are owned by the Toei Company.

**Author's Note****:** I hope you are all ready for our journey into the Underworld. More Kiva cameos today, but since I've already ruined the hell out of that series, you should be okay. We will also be seeing some familiar faces too, so keep your eyes open for them. This has been a crazy journey, let's go save our friends!

* * *

Sakurai sat in the first train car on the ZeroLiner sipping a cup of tea. The train car was simple, dark grey walls, a few windows, and green booths for people to sit in with little black tables. A man wearing all black with a green cloak and yellow mask walked up to Sakurai, setting a tray of food on the tiny table next to the saucer for Sakurai's tea.

"Are there shitake mushrooms in that, Deneb," Sakurai asked, looking up at the Imagin while hiding a smirk behind his cup. Deneb laughed nervously as he turned to walk away.

"I have no idea what you are talking about Yuuto, ha ha! I shall go check on the candy," he said quickly escaping from the car. Sakurai could only shake his head as he lifted the lid off the bowl. Yup, there were shitake mushrooms in the soup. He was grateful that his partner was always looking out for his health, but sometimes he over did it with the mushrooms.

Sighing, Sakurai leaned back against the green cushions of the booth, looking around the familiar steam powered locomotive. It had been almost fifteen years since he had ridden this familiar train to fight monsters, called Imagins, who had come from the future to destroy the past. He had sacrificed so much to help save the world, but he was proud of all the lives he had saved. He chuckled to himself as Deneb wondered back into the room carrying a basket of his famous candy. Of course Sakurai couldn't admit to Deneb that he kind of missed the Imagin's antics.

"Yuuto, how are we going to help that other Kamen Rider? What can we do," Deneb asked, sitting on one of the yellow chairs in the room, placing the basket of lollypops on the table near him. Sakurai set his empty tea cup on its saucer, leaning his elbows on the table to look at the belt he had placed there earlier. The belt, simple in design, was black with a yellow and green stripe on it. In the center was a circle that would connect either the green or the yellow stripes. Next to the belt was a clip that held green cards. Shaking his head, Sakurai stood to look out the window at the dusty scenery that was the sands of time.

"Eiji Hino needs our help. He needs the help of friends and fellow riders." Sakurai smiled to himself as he remembered talking to a group of high school students during his most recent luncheon and lectures at the planetarium. The group was made of several students from the Amanogawa High School, part of some strange Urban Legend Research Club. What on Earth they were doing at his lecture, he wasn't quite sure.

One girl was overly excited about space and the stars, reminding Sakurai of himself when he was much younger. He hoped she would one day achieve her dream of going to space. The rest of the group looked about to murder her, but they had fun, he could tell. There was something strange about one of the boys in the group, the only one NOT wearing the Amanogawa High School uniform. He had a strange presence and the way the group kept talking about testing switches in a belt gave Sakurai the impression that one of them was a Kamen Rider.

"I think I know where we can start. Let's head to Amanogawa High School, I want to talk with some of the students there." Sakurai smiled to his friend, glad to have his company once more. "You will be staying on the train though."

"But what if we run into trouble," Deneb pleaded, rising and standing near his partner. He paced the train car, trying very hard not to imagine all the things that could happen.

"Deneb, it's a high school, what could go wrong?" Sakurai laughed as he headed to the front of the train.

**-OOO-**

"Oh crap we're late, we're late," Gentaro shouted as he dashed down the corridor near the central courtyard with two of his fellow Kamen Rider Club members, Yuki and Tomoko, trailing behind him.

"Gen, this is entirely your fault! If you hadn't stopped to do the friendship handshake with the delinquents we wouldn't be in this predicament," Yuki shouted, throwing her all into her run. Tomoko giggled as she ran, enjoying the bickering between her friends.

"Never underestimate the importance of friendship," Gentaro shouted as the group rounded a corner, the hallway into their home room just head. Yuki looked to the left as something caught her eye in the courtyard, causing her to stop.

"Hey Gen, isn't that Mr. Ohsugi," Yuki asked, causing her two friends to almost trip as they came to a stop and walked back to see what Yuki was pointing at. Sure enough, right near the courtyard their geography Mr. Ohsugi was standing there, thumbs hooked around his red, blue, yellow, and purple suspenders, talking to man in a dark green suit.

"I wonder who he is talking to, he looks awfully familiar," Tomoko said, tapping her index finger against her lip. Yuki and Gentaro stared hard at the man in the suit, he really did look familiar, but from where? Suddenly, Yuki grabbed onto Gentaro's arm, jumping up and down in excitement.

"It's him! It's Mr. Sakurai from the planetarium we went to! Oh Gen he's here! We…we have to say hi," grabbing Tomoko and Gentaro by the hand she dashed towards the adults, dragging her poor friends along.

"Wait! Yuki we are supposed to be in class," Gentaro tried to counter, stumbling along the way. Sometimes Yuki's excitement got everyone in trouble. It was still nice to see his friend so excited about things though.

"I…I don't know if this is a good idea. I have a bad feeling about _something_, I don't know what," Tomoko said, tilting her head at the mysterious man as she was pulled along. His aura was different than normal people, similar to Gentaro's and that guy from the restaurant they went to the other day; it seemed more impressive and important. This man was more than he appeared to be. She was much too curious to back down now.

"Mr. Ohsugi! Mr. Sakurai," Yuki said, bowing respectively to her elders. Gentaro and Tomoko did the same hesitantly. A snap from Ohsugi's suspenders straightened the group up.

"Oh look it is my favorite troublemakers! Why aren't you three in class," Ohsugi asked, stepping forward and eyeing each student suspiciously. "I bet you were doing something bad again. What is it now, ditching class again?" The students stepped back, laughing nervously and trying to look anywhere but at their teacher. Yuki bowed slightly and stepped around Ohsugi, taking Sakurai's hand.

"Mr. Sakurai, I'm so honored to meet you again. My fellow classmates and I were at your luncheon not too long ago, where you told us about the stars and the different satellites that were orbiting around the Earth," Yuki said, shaking his hand and not letting go. Sakurai laughed nervously as he looked from Yuki to Tomoko (who was giving him the most quizzical look) to Gentaro. Ah yes, these were the students he was looking for. Luck was with him today.

"It is nice to meet you all again! I'm glad my lecture left an impression on you," Sakurai said, slipping his hand away from hers. Yuki grinned like a cat as she bounced from foot to foot in excitement.

"It was so informative and fun! The way you explained the different constellations and star formations, along with the mythology behind them! Also the stuff about Hayabusa was so amazing! Oh I must show you something," Yuki rambled on as she dug in her backpack and pulled out her Hayabusa plushie, squeaking it at Sakurai, causing him to jump. Gentaro and Tomoko could only shake their heads at their friend.

"It's always good to find a fellow space otaku," Sakurai laughed, patting the girl on the head and complimenting her hard work on Hayabusa. Gentaro was fairly certain Yuki was going to pass out from sheer joy. Another snap of suspenders caused everyone to stop and look at Ohsugi.

"Alright, alright that is ENOUGH excitement for one day. You three, to class, now," He demanded, pointing towards the school building. Defeated, the students mumbled a proper farewell and started to walk away, their heads hanging.

A small explosion in the center of the courtyard caught everyone's attention. Standing on top of some picnic tables were several ninja looking monsters with silver masks and red markings on their black garb. They snarled in a strange language, tipping over tables and attacking the building.

"M-Monsters! RUUNNN," Ohsugi shouted as he turned and ran towards one of the hallways, tripping over the sidewalk in his mad dash. The three Kamen Rider Club members turned to all business and stood ready to fight. Sakurai took a step towards the monsters, his hand reach for the Zeronos belt.

"You should go find somewhere safe to hide Mr. Sakurai, we'll handle this," Gentaro said, smiling as he pulled out the Fourze Driver and holding it to his waist. A silver band appeared, wrapping the belt in place. A smile spread onto Sakurai's face, so he was right, one of theme was a Kamen Rider.

"I was just about to tell you the same thing," Sakurai said, pulling out his belt and snapping it around his waist. Everyone stared at him with their mouths open.

"He's a…a…" Gentaro said, pointing at the other man. Tomoko tugged on Yuki's sleeve, a huge grin on her face as she bounced up and down, Yuki joining in on the excitement. Together the girls pointed and shouted,

"HE'S A KAMEN RIDER!" Gentaro and Sakurai stumbled a bit, wincing from their loud voice. Nodding, the two riders turned back to the monsters ahead of them.

Sakurai held a green card out as he flipped a switch on the belt. Gentaro flipped the four switches on the Fourze driver, the belt beginning its count down. **3…2….1…**

"HENSHIN," both men shouted. Sakurai slid the card into the driver, the green tracks connecting, the belt saying **Altair form.** Gentaro pulled the lever on the side of his belt, throwing his hand into the air as two circles appeared around him. Light and smoke surrounded him, transforming him into an astronaut looking Kamen Rider. Green light surrounded Sakurai, giving him green and black armor with yellow train tracks running down his chest.

Gentaro crouched on the ground before jumping to his feet with his arms raised in excitement, "Space is AWESOME!" He shouted, looking at the Dustards that where growling at the men, clashing their weapons against the earth in anger. "Let's do this man-to-man!" Sakurai chuckled as he unhooked the handle on his right, connecting it into the triangular blade on his left, drawing his sword and resting it on his shoulder.

"Let me say this from the start," Sakurai said, smiling at the nostalgia that filled him at the moment. "I haven't done this in a long time." The monsters screeched at the Kamen Riders. "Let's go!" Together, Gentaro and Sakurai charged.

Gentaro landed the first blow as he jumped into the air, exhaust shooting out from the back of his rocket pack to give him leverage as his fist slammed into the Dustard, knocking it onto its back. Another of its friends screeched as it swung its staff at Gentaro, forcing him to jump back. A third one was waiting for Gentaro, slamming its staff into the back of the Rider, causing him to stumble forward and shake off the blow.

"I won't let you Dustards destroy this school," Gentaro shouted, switching out the fourth switch on his belt for an orange one with the number 22 on it. **Hammer on,** the belt said as Gentaro's left arm transformed into a giant orange-yellow hammer. He swung hard, knocking the three Dustards back, sending one flying into a nearby tree, causing it to explode into stardust.

Sakurai dodged and weaved between two of the monsters, the fighting instincts he had honed in his youth with this form kicking back in. It felt good to become Zeronos again. His sword sung through the air, parrying one of the Dustard's attacks while Sakurai's foot kicked out, hitting the other one in the stomach. Deflecting the first Dustard's staff downward, Sakurai lunged forward, punching it in the face. The creature dropped its staff, clutching its face as it stumbled back, tripping over the fallen picnic table. Jumping forward again, Sakurai pierced its chest with his sword, watching it explode into stardust.

"Aww, why are you guys here now? Ugh, let's finish this," Gentaro shouted, turning off the hammer switch. He replaced the first switch on the belt with a yellow number 10 switch. Activating the switch, the belt chimed **Elec on**. Lightning exploded from Gentaro, surrounding him and changing his armor from white to yellow. In his right hand was a baton that sparked with electricity.

Taking the Elec switch out of his belt, Gentaro slid it into the bottom of the baton. **Limit Break**. Gentaro charged the two Dustards shouting, "Rider Ten Billion Volt Break!" His baton sparked something fierce as it sliced into the two Dustards, turning them into stardust.

Sakurai laughed at the young man's spunk, he could tell the other rider was enjoying himself. Dodging another attack from the last remaining Dustard Sakurai decided it was time to end this.

"Deneb, let's do this like the old times," Sakurai said, sliding the green ticket out of his belt, he flipped it over, revealing a yellow underside. Jumping from the bushes, Deneb ran up to Sakurai, bubbling with excitement. The girls turned and pointed at the new person, screaming at Sakurai to look out behind him.

Ignoring the girls, Sakurai slid the slider at the top of the belt once more, placing the ticket inside it again, this time connecting the yellow tracks on his belt. **Vega Form** the belt chimed. Tracks appeared out of nowhere, causing the yellow tracks on Sakurai's armor to disappear, leaving only a black chest piece. Deneb stood behind Sakurai, his hands on the Rider's shoulder, the Imagine's fingers extending and turning into shoulder turrets. Bright light flashed, as it dimmed the chest piece now had the face of Deneb and the helmet had a five pointed star on it as well as a long black mantle. A powerful gust of wind shook the trees in the court yard, pushing the Dustard back a bit.

"Let me say this to start," the Rider said, his voice now that of Deneb's. "I have missed Yuto very much." Sakurai mentally rolled his eyes; he was going to kill Deneb one day. Honestly though, he missed the Imagine's silly antics.

Pulling the handle out of his sword, he switched it around before sliding it back into the first piece. Pulling a lever on the bottom the blade changed into a bow gun. Pressing a button on top of the belt, the belt chimed **Full Charge**. Removing the ticket once more, he slid it into the handle of the bow gun, causing the gun to glow brightly. He aimed, and fired, the bolt of light piercing the Dustard, causing it to explode.

Taking the card out of the gun, Deneb and Sakurai watched it very carefully. The card wavered for a moment, but remained solid. Letting out a sigh of relief, he slid the card back into its cartridge at his waist. Unhooking the belt, Sakurai canceled the transformation. Deneb stood behind the man, both looking relieved.

"Looks like Owner and Station Master were able to change it after all," Sakurai said, holding the clip that held the cards. "I owe them more than they will ever know." Smiling as he slid the clip into his back pocket as he and Deneb turned to the students who were in awe, pointing at him, Gentaro having canceled his own transformation at some point. "I think you have a lot of questions." The group nodded their head simultaneously.

"You're…you're…" Gentaro said, pointing from Sakurai to Deneb. The older rider laughed at the kids as he wondered how much of a shock this must be.

"I am Yuto Sakurai and this is Deneb. Together we are Kamen Rider Zeronos," Sakurai said as Deneb bowed deeply before running off to grab a basket of candy that he had hid behind the bush. He rushed to the group, handing each person a lollypop.

"Let's try to get along, shall we," Deneb said, bowing to each person. The girls were speechless, barely remember to bow back and thank him for the candy, still clinging to each other in excitement. Gentaro stepped forward, a huge smile on his face.

"I'm Gentaro Kisaragi, Kamen Rider Fourze," Gentaro said, extending his hand out to the Rider. Sakurai's face became completely serious as he avoided the out stretched hand.

"I hate to cut this short, but I need your help Kisaragi," Sakurai said, causing Gentaro to stand straighter. "I don't know if you know him, but Eiji Hino, Kamen Rider OOO, is in a lot of trouble and needs our help." The trio of students jumped in surprise. Gentaro pounded his chest twice and pointed at Sakurai.

"I'm the man who will befriend all riders and I always help my friends out! Lead the way Mr. Sakurai!" Gentaro shouted as his smile grew even larger.

"Oh, I'll call the Kamen Rider Club, we need to get moving if we hope to-" Yuki said, getting her cell phone out of her bag.

"I'm sorry, but there isn't enough room for all of you and we are on a very tight schedule. We have to find others to come help us," Sakurai said politely, bowing apologetically to Yuki, who seemed dejected. Tomoko typed away on her iPad, tilting her head quizzically at it.

"If you are looking to find someone, how about asking a Detective," Tomoko said, turning her tablet over to show an ad for the Narumi Detective Agency. Gentaro ran to Tomoko, grabbing her arm and pulling her up to a confused looking Sakurai.

"I know where we can find some more Kamen Riders!" Gentaro said, still holding onto Tomoko. "But she needs to come with us, she can be a big help with Eiji. We met him again recently and know a bit about his problem." Sakurai nodded at Gentaro's request.

"Then let's go," Sakurai said as a train whistle echoed in the empty courtyard. Train tracks appeared from a portal as a green train following them, stopping behind Sakurai and Deneb. The trio gasped and pointed at the sudden train.

"But what about me," Yuki whined, pouting and stomping her foot, "I want to help too!" Gentaro walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, giving her a no-nonsense look.

"We need you to go to the Rabbit Hutch and tell everyone what is going on. It's up to you guys to protect the school while I'm gone. Got it? We don't know if we can really trust Meteor yet, so you guys have to be on your toes," Gentaro said, smiling at the space otaku. She nodded proudly and saluted her friend before shaking his hand. They did his friendship handshake: a hand shake, a grasp, a fist bump, then bumping fists from above, and then from below. She laughed and waved goodbye to the group as Deneb helped Tomoko aboard the train. Gentaro waved goodbye, hopping onto the train as the door closed. Another whistle sounded as the tracks took the train into another portal.

**-OOO-**

_ After falling for what felt like forever through the silvery portal, a red circle appeared below Kamen Rider OOO. He slid through the circle, landing on a wooden floor in a crouch. Standing he blinked his eyes and tilted his head to the side. This was the Cous Coussier, in his bedroom, exactly where he had left. The only difference was that it was eerily quiet here since it was so empty. No, it wasn't empty. Sleeping on the bed was KoAnkh in his child form with his head resting on a girl's lap. She looked up at the Rider, startled at his sudden appearance._

_ "W-Who are you? How did you get in here, this place is protected," She asked, looking from OOO to the dream catcher that hung over the bed. It had worked so far, only those with special permission could enter. The short haired girl looked back at OOO, tilting her head to the side. "I won't let you hurt this little boy." She gently lifted KoAnkh's head, sliding a pillow under it as she stood ready to fight._

_ "No, no you have it all wrong. I'm Kamen Rider OOO, I came to rescue Ankh and KoAnkh," Eiji said quickly, waving his hands in front of him and laughing nervously. He really didn't want to start trouble, especially with KoAnkh resting. He looked closer at the girl, recognizing her face finally. "Mari! What are you doing here? I thought you were in the other world with your son…" Something wasn't adding up. The girl shook her head, smiling sadly._

_ "You must have met Wataru's wife. No, I'm not her, my name is Mio and I am in charge of fetching the soul that wonder this realm," the girl said as she bowed to Eiji politely. "We have been waiting for you Kamen Rider OOO." She smiled sweetly at him_

_ "Who is 'we'," Eiji asked, unsure of what really was going on. She fetched souls? Where was he exactly?_

_ "My bosses, you will meet them soon. Come, we must hurry if you want to rescue Ankh." She grabbed OOO's hand and tugged him downstairs towards the front door of the Cous Coussier._

_ "Wait, what about KoAnkh? I have to save both of them, how can I do that?" He pulled the girl to a stop, running his hands over his helmet as he shook his head in frustration._

_ "I took Ankh somewhere safe, to the bottom of the Underworld where my bosses can keep him alive. KoAnkh will be safe here with me, I promise. As I said, this place is protected from evil things." OOO nodded his head, unsure if he should trust this girl. She said that this place was safe, but how could he know if she was telling the truth? He didn't really have time to test the girl; he just had to believe her._

_ "Alright, where do we go?" OOO said, allowing her to take the lead once more. Mio let out a sigh of relief as she took his hand again, pulling him towards the door. Carefully and quietly she opened the large wooden doors and peeked out. There was nothing but silence outside, no animals, no birds, no people walking the streets, just silence. Lady Luck was with them today._

_ "Follow me; I'll take you to the entrance." Mio dashed out into the streets, running along the abandon alleyways, OOO following right behind her. To his surprise the streets suddenly ended the sidewalk and pavement giving away to a lush forest that should not be here._

_ "What…is this place?" Eiji asked, slowing down as he approached the strange transition. Mio ran back to him and pulled him along once again, urging him to hurry._

_ "We call it the Nightmare Realm. It was created a long time ago by human dreams." Mio said, dodging between trees until she found the path she was looking for. Finally she slowed down a bit, allowing Eiji to catch his breath. "Eventually a portal opened up to the Underworld and a lot of bad things escaped through, attacking people in the real world. Several members of the Demon Races decided to take up guard here, protecting the awaken world from these nightmares." She said rubbing her arms as a shiver ran down her back. Memories flashed in her mind, threatening to bring tears to her eyes. No, she needed to be strong; she had to do everything she could to save these lives._

_ "That is quite a burden you hold on your shoulders," Eiji said quietly. Mio shook her head and smiled, taking them down a fork in the dirt path hidden in the forest. _

_ "We voluntarily accepted this fate. Not one of us regrets it." She couldn't bring herself to tell OOO that there was no place for them in the real world anyway; at least here they were safe from being hunted. She smiled to herself as the sound of a huge animal snoring caught her attention. Ah, they were getting close now. Pushing through the foliage they came into a clearing, with possibly the strangest creature Eiji had ever seen._

_ Sleeping in the middle of this forest was a huge purple dragon that appeared to be stuck inside part of a castle. The creature yawned as it scratched its nose against one of the fallen trees, readjusting to fully enjoy the sunshine that peeked through the opening in the treetops. All Eiji could do was stare even as Mio urged him closer._

_ "Good afternoon Castle Duran, I need to come inside please." Mio said politely as she approached the sleeping creature. The dragon yawned as he rolled his head on the side, exposing the underside of its chin. Mio giggled as she reached up and scratched it. The monster almost sounded like it was purring. _

_ "W…what is that?!" Eiji asked, pointing at the dragon. Castle Duran opened one eye, glaring at OOO for disrupting his chin scratching. The castle hunched down close to the ground, growling menacingly, flaring its wings behind him._

_ "Oh stop it, we don't have time." She scolded the dragon playfully. He pouted at her, but she patted his nose, giving him a little kiss. "This is Castle Duran. He is the entrance to the Underworld where I hid Ankh. Be a good boy and open up." The dragon smiled and opened his mouth really wide. Expecting to see all kinds of sharp teeth, Eiji was surprised when he saw a staircase leading down. Hesitantly, he stepped forward._

_ "There you are! I thought I smelled live meat! Oh this will be so delicious I can't wait," something screeched from above. Turning, Eiji and Mio looked up through the clearing only to see a black bird like humanoid hovering over them. "I can't believe you let a live one in here Messenger, I'm so thrilled!" The Crow Yummy dove towards the duo._

_ "Get going Eiji! I'll hold him off," Mio shouted as purple fire surrounded her, stained glass crackling up her skin. Her human form shattered away, leaving only her Fangire form. Pearly orbs appeared around her as she launched them at the Yummy. _

_ "You can't get away from me so easily human, I'LL EAT YOU ALL! AHAHAHAHAHA," the Crow cackled as he spun away from Mio's attacks. One of the orbs managed to hit his wing, sending him crashing to the ground. Growling, he cursed the Fangire, swearing to destroy her once and for all. _

_ "GO!" Mio shouted shoving Eiji into Castle Duran's mouth, forcing him to tumble down the stairs and into darkness. The dragon shut his mouth tight before standing and extending his wings out, taking off to the sky to hide once again in the forest maze._

_ "Do you really think you can beat me Messenger," the Crow Yummy taunted squawking at her once again. They circled around each other, waiting for an opening to strike. Sunlight sparkled off of the stained glass in Mio's form._

_ "I only have to distract you long enough for him to succeed," she said, the afternoon sky turning to night as a large red moon appeared behind her._

_ "Let's see if you can!" He shouted, charging Mio._

_**-OOO-**_

_ Eiji tumbled down the stairs, down into the darkness. Finally rolling to a stop after who knows how long, he managed to right himself. Looking back up, he only saw darkness where the entrance to this place should have been. It was strange though, he could hear the creature breathing, but felt no air passing him by or any movement from outside. This was getting stranger by the moment. Turning his head to look below, he was surprised to see a hallway lit up by orange sconces. The floor was made of dark wood and the walls a simple off white with mirrors hung up here and there. "Well, there is nowhere else to go I suppose," Eiji said to himself as he continued down the stairs._

_ As OOO ventured down the hallway, he noticed several doors off to the side. He tried each one, but they were all locked. Even when he knocked, he received no response. He continued down the hall until he came to a set of double doors. Opening them, he stepped into a room with a large marble mantle fireplace and dark wood paneling going halfway up the wall all around the room. Paintings hung around the room, giving it almost a cozy feel. Several chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating the rather spacious and empty room. _

_ In the back of the room, near the fireplace, a man lazily wearing a tuxedo napped. The jacket was open and the tie was undone, but his brown hair hung loosely around his face. Cautiously, Eiji walked towards the man, trying to make as little noise as possible. The man groaned, causing OOO to freeze._

_ "What the hell do you want, you don't belong here," the man barked at Eiji, not even bothering to open his eyes. He was annoyed enough at all the noise the man had made while tumbling down the stairs. Sometimes having enhanced hearing was a pain. "Mio really needs to work on lettings strangers in." He rolled his shoulder, trying to work out a kink that had formed while he napped._

_ "I…I'm Kamen Rider OOO…I'm looking for someone…" Eiji said quietly, unsure how to approach the man. Stretching the man sniffed the air a few times deeply, finally opening his eyes to look at OOO._

_ "As I said, you should not be here, you are too alive. You aren't even in a dream state," the man said, standing up slowly and walking towards Eiji. _

_ "I'm Eiji and I'm looking for someone…someone named Ankh. Mio said she brought him here earlier." The man circled around Eiji, sniffing at him several times, growling quietly in his throat._

_ "I'm Jiro. I'm the guardian and caretaker of Castle Duran. I've also been known as the Guard Dog of Hell. Why do you think I should let you in? You do smell rather good and I haven't had a human soul in a long time. I don't usually eat the men, but beggars can't be choosers." Jiro smirked at OOO as he licked his chops._

_ "Please, I just want to save Ankh, that's all. I am not here to cause you any trouble." Jiro laughed to himself, shaking his head at the poor Rider. These people never learned. It always annoyed Jiro how Riders thought they were entitled to so much. They were just as corrupt as the rest of the world._

_ "That is what everyone says. I don't trust you. If you want to get to the bottom of Castle Duran, you'll have to go through me." Jiro charged at OOO, scratching his suddenly appearing claws on the floor, generating blue sparks. His form shimmered as his body shape shifted into that of a blue werewolf with a large yellow horn in the middle of his forehead. The monster ran on all fours at Eiji, snarling as it charged._

_ "W-what are you?!" Eiji asked before having to dodge the monster's attack. Jiro skidded to a halt, his claws dragging on the floor to help him change directions, blue sparks flying. Howling he charged OOO again, jumping into the air and slashing with his claws. OOO brought his arms up just in time to deflect one of the attacks, but the other managed to get his side, tossing him across the ground._

_ Jiro slowly stalked towards Eiji standing on two feet, panting heavily as he growled. "Oh this is good, this is good. I haven't had such a good fight in a long time. Show me how badly you want to save Ankh," Jiro said his voice surprisingly calmly. Howling loudly he charged OOO once again. _

_ 'How badly I want…' the words echoed in Eiji's mind as he charged the Werewolf, spearing the man in the waist, tackling him to the ground. They rolled on the floor, Jiro finally managing to toss Eiji off of him. Passion unlocked inside himself as Eiji roared, activating the yellow Tora medal in his chest. Claws sprung to life on his hands as he charged Jiro once again._

_ Claws locked together as the men tested each other's strength. Eiji brought his knee up, hitting Jiro in the stomach, causing him to faulter for a moment. That was all OOO needed, bringing his foot around he managed to knock out the werewolf's knee, dropping him to the ground. Leaping onto Jiro, Eiji pinned the man down with his knee and his yellow claws at the man's throat. _

_ "Nothing will stop me from saving Ankh. You aren't the first person to threaten to eat me, and you probably aren't the last. Today I will be no one's meal," Eiji said, sheathing his claws and standing once more. He extended his head to the fallen Werewolf. Chuckling quietly to himself, Jiro accepted the hand, shape shifting back into his human form once again. He straightened his jacket as he walked back to his chair._

_ "You have bested me Kamen Rider, for that you gain my respect from a member of the Wolfen Race. Go through that door if you want to save your precious Ankh. I'll stand watch and make sure nothing else gets in." He yawned again, sitting back down in the chair and getting comfortable. OOO bowed in gratitude to the man as he headed towards the doors in the back of the room._

_ "Thank you I shall remember your kindness." Eiji said as he opened the doors with a loud creak. Jiro waved off his comment, sighing at the loss of a delicious meal._

_ "Tell Otoya I'm getting hungry. If he makes a dog joke though, feel free to kill him." Jiro laughed as Eiji stepped through._

_**-OOO-**_

_ The doors closed behind him, the new hallway becoming a dark cavern. Hesitantly he wondered down the walkway, the red piece in his chest glowing slightly as it activated Taka's enhanced vision. Up ahead the cavern ground evened out and a gentle green glow emitted from further down the hallway, allowing OOO to see without needing Taka._

_ Ahead of Eiji was something he didn't quite expect to find in the strange Dragon castle. A large body of water glowed eerily green, the waves splashing gently against the shore as the cave opened up with a much higher ceiling. If he concentrated, he could just barely see the other side of the lake. Ahead of him there was a small wooden boat, maybe large enough for three people. Next to it a young boy in a school uniform was sitting on a stool watching the water._

_ "Um, excuse me," Eiji said as he approached the boy, his eyes alert in case anyone else wanted to attack him again. The boy turned to look at OOO, his eyes still a bit dreamy and far off. He tilted his head, wondering why a Kamen Rider was here._

_ "Oh, I'm sorry, you must be lost here I can show you the way back to the surface," the young boy said, standing and gesturing towards the area where Eiji had just come from. "I'm not sure how you got down here, Jiro must be asleep." He shook his head in disappointment._

_ "Actually I need to go that way I think," Eiji said, point across the weird glowing lake to the other side of the dark cavern. The boy stopped, tilting his head at Eiji._

_ "No, that would only lead to the bottom of the castle and to the Master's chambers. Who…who are you?" the boy finally asked, taking a moment to really study OOO._

_ "I'm OOO and I'm here to rescue Ankh. Who are you? Why is a little boy down here, shouldn't you be in school?" Eiji asked concerned as to why a child was being kept down here._

_ "I'm not young! I just turned 132-years-old three months ago," The boy stated proudly, standing at his full height. Eiji's jaw dropped, this place was getting weirder and weirder by the moment. "My name is Ramon and I'm the ferryman of the Underworld. If you want to cross that water, I'm going to need a special token. A kid has to eat you know?" Greed glinted in the boy's eye as he stared at OOO, his eyes shifting to the belt._

_ "What kind of token? I have some coins on me I think," Eiji said, trying to rummage through the suit to get to his pants underneath. He had just gotten paid at the Cous Coussier, so he knew he had at least some change. Suddenly the boy was standing right in front of him, a mischievous smile on his face._

_ "I want that red token in your belt," He said, pointing to the Taka Core Medal._

* * *

**Author's Note:** And that ends the first leg of our journey into the Underworld! I do hope you enjoyed my 'guard dog' at the entrance of Castle Duran. If you aren't too familiar with Kamen Rider Kiva, there are three arms monsters that help Kiva out during fights. One is the last member of the Wolfen race named Jiro, who transforms into a werewolf, or a Garulu. Another one is Ramon who is a Merman or a Bashaa as the series calls him. There is a third one, but you have to stay tuned to figure out more about him!

Ramon is playing the part of Charon in this mythological tale and Jiro is playing Cerberus. I know he doesn't have three heads, but I like the arms monsters, I think they were really cool in Kiva. Please leave a review!


	12. Appointment

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 12 – Appointment**

**By ManaGoddess**

**Disclaimer****: **I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments. All characters from Kamen Rider are owned by the Toei Company. The name 'KoAnkh' is mine though.

**Author's Note****:** Thank you for joining me today for the next leg of our quest to bring back true love. Eiji is going to need a lot of help so be sure to cheer him on!

* * *

A new breeze was blowing through the windy city of Futo, which usually meant that something was about to change. A crisis was on the horizon and this city would need a hard-boiled detective to protect it from this danger. Detective Shotaro Hidari was just the man this city needed.

Shotaro leaned back in his chair, watching the ceiling fan spin slowly as his mind wondered in boredom. Things had been rather dull since the Narumi Detective Agency had taken care of the latest gang trying to distribute Gaia Memories to this city's population. He was always glad that there was no more trouble in his city, but it also meant he had to take on lesser jobs to keep the lights on and food in their belly.

The side door opened, pulling Shotaro from his daydream. His partner, Philip, stood in the door way, wearing his long dark blue duster over his light blue and white striped shirt, staring at a book with so much intent that he barely missed the side table as he walked to the couch to sit. He turned a page, smiling like a little kid on Christmas.

"What are we studying today Philip," Shotaro asked, moving his feet off the desk and setting them on the floor. He removed his black Wind Scale fedora, placing it gently on his desk atop a pile of reports he was supposed to be looking over. Philip looked up, grinning like a cat.

"Did you know there is such thing as a 'tuxedo cat'? It is such a strange creature! It's like a normal cat, but due to the genetics of its parents the fur can make it look like it is wearing a tuxedo! There have been quite a few famous cats because of this rare pattern…" Philip said mumbling to himself as he flipped the pages in his book. To others, the book looked blank, but since Philip had access to the entire world's knowledge through the Infinite Archive from the Gaia Library, he can read any book about any subject. Often times Philip would get 'lost' in these books, trying to learn all he could about things. It appeared today would be about cats with interesting fur patterns. If it made him happy, then it was no bother to anyone.

"I did not know that, sounds pretty neat though. Did you do those lookups for Akiko? She will be pretty angry with us if you didn't," Shotaro said, standing to look out the window of his tiny office that was also his and Philip's home. "Speaking of Chief, where is she?" Philip paused in his reading to look up at his partner.

"Last I heard she was having lunch with Terui," Philip said, going back to his reading. Shotaro groaned as he poured himself a cup of old coffee.

"That means she will expect us to work twice as hard now that she is all lovey dovey with him." Shotaro sipped his coffee, cringing at the old taste. He wished he was good at making coffee, like that restaurant he had been to a few days ago where he had seen Eiji Hino. He didn't know what they did to their coffee, but it was REALLY good.

"I've done all my work Shotaro, you're the one who continues to put it off until she is yelling at you and hitting you." Philip smirked as he turned the page, his current interest slowly blending into another thing to look up.

"Eh! Why did you remind me Philip?" Shotaro set his half-drunk coffee on the counter, spilling a bit of it over the side as he raced back to his desk to do work that their Chief had left for him. Philip rolled his eyes as he turned the page, reading about how suits were made.

"Guys, I'm back," A girl said as she opened the door to their office. She was short and had brown hair in a pig tail off to the side, but was smiling like a cat that had just been given fresh crème.

"How was lunch with Terui, Akiko?" Philip asked, setting his book aside to help the girl carry a rather large box. She giggled behind her hand, blushing slightly as she looked from Philip to Shotaro, the room's light glinting off her wedding band.

"It was a lot of fun we ate and talked. Much more fun than sitting around having noodles with you two," Akiko said, sticking her tongue out at the two men in her office. Shotaro stood up suddenly, frowning at the girl in mock surprise.

"Hey! We have a lot of fun here, don't we Philip?" Shotaro asked walking around his desk pouting at the girl. Akiko put her hands on her hip, glaring at the wannabe hard-boiled detective.

"I suppose one could say we are entertained. Usually I'm doing some research while you are daydreaming when you are supposed to be working," Philip said, trying his best to hide a smirk. Shotaro's mouth dropped at his partner as Akiko looked rather smug having won this battle. "Of course when everyone is here, it is rather fun."

"Ha! If you and Terui had come HERE instead of wherever you two went, it would have been lots of fun," Shotaro nodded to himself, rather proud that he had managed to one up Akiko. Out of nowhere a green slipper appeared in Akiko's hand, smacking him in the back of the head.

"Now you listen to me mister, I'm the Chief around here and if I want a lunch out with my husband it will be much more fun than spending it with you two," Akiko said, shaking her slipper threateningly at Shotaro and Philip. "And another thing," She was cut off by the sound of a train whistle. Confused, the trio looked around the room, searching for where the sound had come from.

"Are you sure this is the place," A man asked from the other side of the door. The trio looked at the door, tilting their heads.

"Well the sign says that it is the Narumi Detective Agency, so it has to be the place," a young girl said, her voice faint and sounding a bit nervous. "We should just open the door and go in."

"Of course we should! I met these guys once, I think. I didn't get to do the handshake so I'm not very sure. However, I will befriend them," a younger man said, sounding very excited. Still, the door did not move.

"I don't think they realize we can hear them," Philip said, tilting his head to the side as he studied the door. "How strange…" His fingers tapped his bottom lip in thought. Finally giving up, Shotaro walked to the door and opened it.

"Can I help you all with something," Shotaro asked, trying his best to sound cool and hard-boiled, even if he was a bit annoyed at the group standing outside his door. It took a moment to register, but on the other side of the door, where the hallway should have been, was a train car on tracks surrounded by sand. Three people stood before the detective, a tall high school boy with black hair, a shy gothic looking girl clasping an iPad to her chest, and a man in a dark green suit.

"Um…Hello," the gothic girl said, blinking up at Shotaro. "May we come in?" Akiko appeared next to Shotaro, trying to see over his shoulder.

"EHH?! Why is there a train in the hallway? I didn't hear anything about this," Akiko said as she pushed Shotaro out of the way to stick her head out the door. Holding onto the door frame, she leaned into what should have been the hallway, trying to get a good look. Instead of the normal brown paneling leading to the outside, there was a vast desert stretching out as far as the eye could see. "This…this…." Slowly Akiko backed away, staring at the strange trio. Philip took a look outside as well.

"This is really fascinating. What is it?" Philip asked, standing on his toes to try to get a better look at the steam locomotive that the trio had apparently stepped off of.

"I would be more than happy to explain, but can we come in first, the portal doesn't like being kept open for very long," The man in the suit said, smiling nervously as he checked the time on his watch. Already the portal had been left open for too long. A shocked Shotaro nodded his head, stepping aside to allow the group in. "Thank you." Shotaro closed the door behind the trio, and then opened it again only to reveal that it was back to the old hallway.

"So, who are you all and how can the Narumi Detective Agency help you? There is no mystery I can't solve," Shotaro said, shaking off his surprise as he gestured for the trio to sit down in their living room. Akiko busied herself with making fresh coffee for everyone.

"My name is Yuto Sakurai, I am a local astronomer. This is Gentaro Kisaragi and Tomoko Nozama, high school students from Amanogawa High School," Sakurai said, introducing the boy and girl who were with him. Gentaro saluted Shotaro with a 'yo' while Tomoko nodded meekly to them, her cheeks flushed slightly as she looked from Shotaro to Philip. "We are here on some important business and don't have a whole lot of time."

"Don't I know you," Shotaro interrupted, staring at Gentaro. The boy had looked very familiar he swore he had seen him before. The boy was pretty hard to forget. Gentaro smiled as he stood up, pounded his chest twice and pointed at Shotaro and Philip.

"I'm the man who will befriend all the Riders," Gentaro shouted, causing Sakurai to shake his head and laugh at the young man's fighting spirit. "We met not too long ago when Foundation X had attacked our school, trying to capture my girlfriend." Shotaro's eyes widened as he remembered that encounter, but he didn't meet any high school students, only two Kamen Riders one of which was Kamen Rider OOO.

"Are you…Kamen Rider Fourze," Shotaro asked his eyebrows rising in surprise. Philip and Akiko jumped at the question, looking at Gentaro in shock.

"You're a Kamen Rider?! But, you are way too young!" Akiko shouted, pointing at Gentaro, who smiled proudly at the trio. Sakurai cleared his throat, trying to reign in everyone's attention.

"Yes, he is Kamen Rider Fourze. I guess this means you are Kamen Rider W?" Sakurai asked as everyone took their seats once more. Philip smiled as he flipped through pages on his book, glancing up at Gentaro and the mysterious young girl as she flipped through images on her iPad.

"Yeah, we're W. Who are you," Shotaro asked, crossing his arms over his chest, trying to look imposing at the other trio. Tomoko smirked as she looked at Philip who rolled his eyes at his partner.

"You two are very special, there is a really deep connection," Tomoko said, tilting her head to the side as her eyes sparkled in the light. "Very interesting indeed, are you BOTH W?" Philip raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"You are also mysterious, are you using a Gaia Memory?" Philip asked studying the shy young girl sitting in front of him.

"How do you see the things you do? I read online that you can access any book," Tomoko leaned towards Philip, mischief sparkling in her eyes. The two studied each other, trying to figure out the other's secrets.

"I am Kamen Rider Zeronos and we need your help." Sakruai interrupted, drawing everyone's attention once again, silencing the room. Shotaro leaned back crossing his foot over his knee. He thought about his hat still on his desk he probably should grab it to complete his detective look. Although, this was a serious matter and would require a serious hat. Akiko did her best to shake off the shock as she handed coffee out to their guests.

"What do you need us for, how can we help," Shotaro asked, his face serious. If Kamen Riders were searching him out, it meant something important was going on. Even Akiko brought over one of the dining room chairs to listen to the older Rider.

"First off, do you know Eiji Hino?" Sakurai asked, hoping he wouldn't have to explain everything. Shotaro and Philip exchanged glances.

"We know OOO. Does this have something to do with that Core fragment?" Shotaro asked frowning as he remembered the lunch at the Cous Coussier. Sakurai nodded his head.

"OOO needs our help! He needs all the friendship of the Kamen Riders to help him through this tough time," Gentaro said smiling at the other Kamen Riders.

"Yes, we are heading there to help him. Will you two join us, he needs our strength to survive this," Sakurai leaned forward, setting his coffee on the table, wincing slightly at the bitter taste. He removed the watch from his pocket, his fingers running over the inscription in the back. '_The Past Should Give Us Hope_' the inscription read. Shotaro nodded standing up and grabbing the white hat off the post on the door, his thumb running over the tear in the hat. Taking a deep, shuttering breath, he placed the hat on his head and turned back to the room.

"We'll help him, let's go Philip," Shotaro said, his heart pounding in his chest. Philip nodded, rising as the rest of the group did.

"This is so sudden! We have so much work to do Shotaro," Akiko said, wringing her hands as she stood and began to pace the room. "I have to call Ryu and let him know what's going on so we can get ready and head out." Shotaro placed his hands on the Chief's shoulders, smiling at her with a serious look in his eyes.

"Chief, I need you and Terui to watch over Futo while we are gone. It's up to you guys to protect my precious city," Shotaro said, squeezing the girl's shoulders. Taking off his white hat he placed it on her head, smiling down at the glue that held the Agency together. Without her, this place would have crumbled long ago. "Be a person worthy of that hat Akiko." Tears swelled in the Chief's eyes as she wore her father's hat her heart pounding in her chest.

"Shotaro, we have to go," Sakurai said, smiling at the scene in front of him. There was so much pride in the girl's face.

"It's so AWESOME," a sniffling Gentaro said, doing a mini jump of excitement that he usually did when he transformed. Philip placed his hand on Shotaro's shoulder, chuckling and shaking his head. Shotaro grabbed the hat he had left on his desk, it was just as serious as the Boss's hat.

"Come, we must be going," Sakurai said, checking his pocket watch one last time. He waited a few moments and then opened the door to the agency as a green train came to a stop right outside.

"Welcome to ZeroLiner," Gentaro said, drying his tears one last time as he put his arms around Shotaro and Philip's shoulders, walking them towards the door. "Wait until you try some of Deneb's candy, it is delicious!"

The door closed behind the group, leaving a partially stunned Akiko watching the group go, holding her father's hat. For a moment, she could almost feel her father standing beside her, proud of the woman she had become. She would do everything in her power to protect the city her family loved so much.

**-OOO-**

"_My name is Ramon and I'm the ferryman of the Underworld. If you want to cross that water, I'm going to need a special token. A kid has to eat you know?" Greed glinted in the boy's eye as he stared at OOO, his eyes shifting to the belt._

_"What kind of token," Eiji asked curious as to what the boy would require. Suddenly Ramon was standing right in front of him, a mischievous smile on his youthful face._

_"I want that red token in your belt," He said, pointing to the Taka Core Medal. OOO took a step back, his hand protectively over the belt. "I like the red one, it's very pretty." He giggled as he stepped towards the Rider once more. "What will it be?"_

_ OOO looked at the belt, his heart pounding in his chest. He unclasped the belt, canceling the transformation and removed the three cores. The boy giggled as he picked up the Taka medal, holding it up to the dim light of the room. It took every bit of Eiji's will power to not reach for the medal. _

_ "It's so pretty! I like it! Fine your fee is paid. You might want to stay transformed though, it can be pretty bad out there," Ramon said as he walked over to his little boat and pushed it into the water. Eiji felt defenseless as he realized he didn't have any other cores on him._

_ "I can't, you are holding a piece of my transformation." Eiji's voice was flat and deadpan as he stepped into the little boat, nervous as his weight caused it to rock a bit violently in the strange glowing green water. Ramon bit his lip as he stepped into the boat, pushing off of the shore. _

_They floated in silence, the only sound coming from Ramon as he ferried them across the river. Eiji looked around the enormous cavern, wondering how it all fit into the strange flying castle that was some part of a creature. It made no sense to Eiji, but then again he was in a strange Nightmare Realm._

"_Why does the water glow?" Eiji looked over the side of the boat, but could only see his reflection in the odd, green water. He could see fish moving underneath, but it was difficult to make out what kind they were. Ramon laughed nervously as he pushed them along, Eiji was surprised at the young man's strength._

"_They glow from the things living in it," Ramon's answer was short and to the point almost as if he didn't want to talk about. Looking behind him, Eiji saw that they had a ways to go on this journey, so he might as well continue talking._

"_What kind of fish are they? I've seen a few fish that can glow in the real world, n-not that there is anything wrong with living in this…place." Eiji looked down at the bottom of the boat, hoping he didn't embarrass himself too much or insult his host. Ramon shook his head, his dark hair swaying with him._

"_They aren't fish, they are lost souls." Ramon lifted his oar a bit out of the water. A ghostly hand clung to it, another hand reaching out to grab the side of the boat attempting to hoist _**something**_ into the boat. Eiji gasped, reaching for his OOO driver, searching his pockets for the medals._

"_W-what is going on?!" Eiji asked as he moved away from the sides of the boat. The boy glared at the arm, shaking his head in disgust. Holding the oar in one hand, he spun quickly and snapped his fingers. Bubbles appeared all over his body causing him to have a shimmery look. The bubbles popped, leaving behind a green aquatic form that looked like a Merman. Ramon's eyes adjusted, locking on to the arms that were trying to tip his boat to eat the fresh soul. _

"_Bashaa!" A bubble shot from Ramon's mouth, hitting the strange arm and causing it to release the boat, sinking back underneath the water. He shot another bubble at the hand holding onto the oar, and it quickly let go. Shaking his head, Ramon continued to ferry them down this strange river._

_Eiji could do nothing but stare at the little boy...or what used to be a little boy. He had fins coming out the side of his face and his fingers were webbed. Green and purple scales covered his body as his red eyes scanned the river for anyone else who might like to try to get a free ride. "What are you," Eiji asked, his voice a whisper above the gentle waves lapping against the boat._

"_I am the last of my kind, the Mermen. After our races were hunted to near extinction, Jiro, Riki, and I took residence in Castle Duran to help keep it calm and take care of it. We also help out Kamen Rider Kiva when he needs us." The boy pushed the boat down the river, the other side finally coming into view properly. "Since we moved to the Underworld, we were all given new jobs. Mio guides the souls here, Jiro protects the front door to make sure no one wonders in here by accident, I ferry them across the river, and Riki judges them based on how they acted in life." Eiji rubbed the chill away from his arms; this was too much to deal with._

"_What if they don't have a token to pay you with, do you still ferry them across?" Eiji wondered, feeling his pocket for the two remaining core medals. Ramon shook his head, firing another bubble at a hand that had tried to pull the boat off course._

"_No, if they can't pay then they wonder until they can. Most try their luck at swimming across but you can see how well that works." Ramon sighed as he shot another bubble at an arm trying to reach into the boat. "I feel bad for these spirits, they are lost and hurting but there is nothing we can do for them." Eiji nodded his head, his mind trying to wrap around how many souls were lost here._

_The boat suddenly jerked to a stop, the bottom grating against the shore on the other side of the river. Blinking, Eiji looked around at the new area as Ramon hopped out of the boat to pull it further on shore. Eiji stepped out onto the mosaic walkway in front of him that lead to a strange Ancient Roman Temple. The pathway was lined by torches that reflected off of the strange stained glass walls. _

"_Well, this as far as I take you. Up head you'll find the King and Queen waiting for you. They are really nice. Make sure you say hi to them for me, and remind them that I'm hungry." Ramon pouted and rubbed his aching stomach. _

"_I will. Will you still be here when I come back out?" Eiji did his best to calm his pounding heart, but it was very hard to do since he was so close to Ankh. Somehow, Eiji knew that Ankh was nearby and that he NEEDED Eiji._

"_Yeah, I'll be here, but it might cost you again." A wicked smile played on Ramon's face as he flipped the Taka medal, catching it in midair. He waved after Eiji, smiling and laughing. "Good luck Eiji!" Eiji smiled meekly and waved back as he headed up the path to the Ancient Roman Temple._

_**-OOO-**_

_Eiji slowly approached the imposing round building, its pillars holding up the roof and possibly even the top of the cave, as the temple appeared to be built into the side of this enormous cave. Voices echoed off of the marble walls and floor, reaching all the way to the entrance where Eiji was. Since there was only one room in the building, he headed into the room._

_Two figures sat upon thrones, a man on a gold throne and a woman on a silver one. The man, dressed in an 80's style brown plaid jacket with matching pants, was leaning on the arm of his throne, completely engrossed in conversation with the woman wearing an all-black dress. She smiled fondly at the man, her long brown hair covering part of her face. _

"_You know I would do anything for you darling, but I can't see why we should remodel. This has such a nice feel to it," the man said, gesturing grandly to the room with its sparse decorations. As he gestured, the man suddenly noticed Eiji standing there awkwardly, unsure of what to really say. "Oh, who do we have here?" He stood suddenly, walking down the stairs on his raised platform to stand near Eiji._

"_M-My name is Eiji Hino," Eiji answered, bowing slightly to the man circling around him, studying him. _

"_You seem a bit too alive to be here, why is that?" the woman asked as she slowly descended the platform, an air of importance surrounding her. The man raced over to her, offering his hand for her to take as she stepped down. "Thank you Otoya." She smiled at him fondly, kissing his cheek. Otoya chuckled to himself as he kissed the back of the woman's hand._

"_For you Maya, anything," he said, kissing her hand once more. Eiji blushed as he watched the couple, unsure of what to do with his self. He cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the other two._

"_Excuse me, are you the King and Queen," Eiji asked, standing nervously in front of them, his heart pounding._

"_Yes, I guess you could call us that. I am Otoya and this lovely creature is Maya, my darling wife," the man introduced, smiling at Eiji. "Why are you here Eiji? Only the dead are allowed in this world."_

"_I'm here to get someone back. Mio said that his soul was being kept down here," Eiji said hesitantly. Maya tilted her head slightly, inspecting Eiji. _

"_Are you looking for that man who was attacked by the Crow on the surface," Maya asked as she clasped her hands in front of her. Eiji's breath caught as he remembered fighting that horrible Crow monster, how close the fight had been. It was luck that Eiji wasn't killed right then and there. He nodded his head meekly afraid to trust his voice. _

"_Oh yes, I remember that man, or at least what was left of that man. He went through quite a bit. He did stop deteriorating finally," Otoya asked, looking at Maya as he wondered to another door in the circular room. "Riki, where did that man go?" _

_A tall and imposing man entered the room, wearing a black suit with white gloves. He bowed to the man and the woman, his face stoic and calm._

"_The man is resting," he said very slowly, deliberately thinking of each word before he spoke. Otoya sighed dramatically as he shook his head. _

"_Well at least he is well. Could you fetch him for me please?" Otoya smiled at the tall man, watching him bow with his hand to his chest before leaving the room again._

"_Is Ankh…alright," asked Eiji as his heart pounded about ready to burst from his chest. Maya approached and laid her hand on his shoulder._

"_He is resting. Thankfully I was able to revert some of the damage but I'm unsure of how much can be salvaged," she smiled up at him as she tried to reassure him. A moment later the tall butler appeared once more, this time holding what appeared to be a pile of rags. Riki set the pile gently on the floor, the top of the pile moving enough to expose Ankh's face._

"_ANKH!" Eiji shouted, dashing to his partner and pulling back the blanket he had been wrapped in. The scene below was awful. His left arm was gone from the elbow down as was his right leg. Part of his calf on his remaining leg appeared to have disintegrated at some point as well. Blood was caked onto what remained of his favorite jacket and shirt. "What…what did you people do to him?" Eiji's voice shook as he gently touched the Greeed's face. Tears rolled down his cheek from the sight below. A woman's hand touched his shoulder drawing him back from his grief._

"_I did everything I could to slow down the deterioration. The Crow Yummy had gotten a hold of him and he has a sort of poison against spirits that causes them to fade. We didn't know he was this bad off when we sent Mio for him," Maya said, squeezing the grieving man's shoulder. "I am sorry." Eiji reached out and held Ankh's hand, squeezing it tight._

"_Will he…will he ever be whole again," Eiji asked as he brushed the hair out of Ankh's face. Ankh's cheek twitched a bit as he tried to roll away from Eiji's touch. His eyes fluttered open, but they were completely vacant. The Greeed stared at Eiji but didn't seem to actually see him. Shaking his head slightly Ankh closed his eyes again and let his head fall to his chest._

"_That's up to Ankh. He has been healing slowly down here, but how long it will take for him to be whole again is anyone's guess," Otoya said and he stood next to his Queen, holding her hand in his. Eiji stood, determination keeping his spine stiff as memories of his friends flooded into his mind. '_The past should give us hope, and the future will come to save us'_ he had learned at the Milk Dipper. If there was ever a time he needed hope, it was now. '_The dreams are important, they are your key for getting him back_' the mysterious girl, Tomoko, had told him at the astronaut themed breakfast. Yes, he was in the dream world, and he knew these were real. _'The Orpheus myth is important, it might be how you get back_' the other half of the detective had told him. If he was going to save Ankh, he needed to act now._

"_What would happen if I took him to the surface, if I woke him up," Eiji asked, looking down at the Greeed who had somehow stolen his heart all those years ago. There was so much joy in seeing him, but so much pain. He would like to have shared at least one nice dream in this realm. No, it was all nightmares and hunts. He would change that and create plenty of happy memories on the surface with him. Otoya and Maya exchanged glances._

"_I don't know honestly. If he has a body in the Awaken Realm, then I guess the dissolved appendages would slowly come back, it might feel like they are asleep at first. As for his mind," Otoya shrugged as he went back to his throne and sat down._

"_We have never had anyone try since we've taken over as King and Queen all those years ago. I know I can walk between worlds since I'm not dead or alive. I think Ankh might be able to walk back, seeing as Greeed are neither alive nor dead," Maya smiled reassuringly at Eiji before taking her seat next to Otoya. _

"_Please, let me try, I can do it!" Eiji stepped towards the couple, his face full of determination. "I have to try…he means so much to me." Otoya smirked at the Rider, tilting his head to the side to look at his Queen._

"_Why do you try so hard," Maya asked, genuinely confused by his human emotions. Being a Fangire, she didn't know much about how the humans interacted with each other, especially since her job used to be to hunt down any Fangire who fell in love with humans and kill them. Of course that all changed when she met Otoya._

"_Oh yes, please tell us why you want a chance to run the Orpheus Gauntlet," Otoya said, smirking at his wife as he leaned back in his throne. He could see it clear as day but sometimes people needed to figure things out themselves. It was also a good learning experience for his wife who knew next to nothing about love._

"_Well, he is my partner, I need him to help fight against any threats," Eiji started, a light flush creeping over his cheeks as he stole a glance at Ankh, who was waking up again and staring at Eiji._

"_Idiot…I've been here…for years…you don't…need me…go…" Ankh said quietly, coughing up blood into the blanket that was wrapped around him. Eiji took a step towards him but Maya's outstretched hand stopped him._

"_He is right. Your partner has been here for quite a while. That is not a good enough reason," Maya stared at Eiji sternly, trying to see the depths of his human soul. "What is the light inside you that caused you to break all sorts of rules to come to this world? Jiro should have killed you the moment you stepped foot in Castle Duran." Eiji flushed as he looked at his feet, unsure if he could trust himself._

"_Don't lie to us this time, give us the real reason," Otoya sounded as if he was bored. He knew this boy had something to say and he wouldn't let him leave until he said it. If Eiji wanted Ankh to be able to get out of here, the Greeed would need to borrow quite a bit of strength and courage from this Rider._

"_I came here…I came here to save Ankh…" Eiji started, lifting his gaze to meet Ankh's. For the moment, Ankh's eyes were crystal clear as he watched his partner. "We are partner…friends…" Otoya let out a loud yawn stretching in his throne and shifting while tsking his tongue._

"_Not good enough. Keep going," Otoya said, receiving a playful slap from Maya. Eiji flushed a bit brighter as he scrubbed away the tears, turning completely towards Ankh._

"_Everyone has missed you Ankh! The Cous Coussier just isn't the same without you." Eiji continued as he took a step towards the fallen Greeed. Ankh simply 'tch'd' and looked away. _

"_You don't need me…anymore…that detective…shared memories with me…so he can…do everything I used to," Ankh panted, his chest feeling heavy. It was strange; his head hadn't felt this clear in a long time. He did feel tired though, tired and so heavy._

"_No, you two are different people. You may look alike but that is where the similarities end. You are Ankh and he is Shingo. You're…you're my Ankh…" Eiji's voice trailed off at the last part. Otoya smirked as he leaned forward in his throne, now they were getting somewhere._

"_Huh? What…do you…mean 'you're Ankh', I belong…to no one…I'm…free…" Ankh sat up a bit straighter, his strength coming back to him slowly. He still couldn't explain the heaviness in his chest though._

"_Yes, you are free; free to do whatever it is you desire. Just…Just know that I'll always…I'll always…" Eiji's voice caught in his throat. He could do it, he could say it. He walked over to Ankh and knelt down next to him, pulling the broken Greeed into a warm embrace. "I'll always love you Ankh, just the way you are. Whole or in fragments, I will love all of you, now and forever. If you'll let me, I promise to always protect you and keep you safe. No matter what happens, I'll always come after you, even if I have to go to the bottom of hell once more." _

_Ankh stared at the Rider, his heart in his throat, having no idea what to say. Had Eiji always felt like this? Right now, in this embrace, Ankh felt as if nothing could harm him. He felt whole for the first time in…ever. "You idiot…" Ankh said, smirking to himself._

"_I believe that was a marriage proposal, wouldn't you say so darling? Well Ankh, will you accept this man's undying love for you? He has literally gone through hell to find you," Otoya leaned out of his chair to get a better look at the romance going on below. Eiji looked relieved to finally have gotten that off his chest, but now he was terrified at how Ankh would receive his declaration. He honestly didn't mean for it to sound like a proposal…_

"_I say…you're an idiot," Ankh said, glaring at Eiji. Eiji's heart stopped, threatening to shatter into a million pieces. Silence hung thick in the room as Maya slid her hand into Otoya's. A smile spread onto Ankh's lips as his facial features softened. He reached up with his talon and cupped Eiji's cheek with it. "But you are my idiot. Why would you give your life up for me? I'm not even a real human I'm just a pile of medals." Tears filled in Ankh's eyes. "We could never have a normal relationship. Heck I'm not even sure what that is."_

"_Don't worry, neither are we," Otoya called from his spot, breaking the tension of the moment briefly. He gestured for them to continue. Eiji flushed brightly as he stammered for words._

"_I don't care that you are a Greeed, you are still Ankh and that is all that matters to me. I would gladly spend the rest of my life with you," Eiji placed one hand over the talon, his other on Ankh's chest, where his heart should be. Ankh looked into the Rider's eyes, his heart pounding in fear and excitement as the weight seemed to increase on his chest. "I love you Ankh."_

"_I love you too Eiji. Yes, I will stay by your side for the rest of eternity," Ankh said, his face turning a bright red that matched his talon. With nothing else to do, Ankh pulled Eiji down into a kiss, pouring his heart and soul into it. Eiji tightened his grip around the Greeed, making sure he stayed safe in his arms. Maya, Otoya, and Riki applauded the newly engaged couple. The men blushed furiously as they quickly jumped apart._

"_Well then, I guess we can give you our blessing for a happy marriage! You may take a chance at the Orpheus Gauntlet. Be careful though, you cannot look back and you only get one chance. He is following you; trust your heart that he is safe. You can only look back when you have reached your sanctuary," Otoya said as he helped Eiji to his feet._

"_What about Ankh, he can't walk though," Eiji worried, looking down at Ankh, love and pride shining in his face as he reached his hand out to Ankh, the Greeed taking it and pulling himself to his one good foot. Maya appeared behind the men, smiling softly at them. _

"_He can walk in his Greeed form. Go on, give it a try. Be warned though, it will hurt," Maya said, her voice soothing and calm. Ankh nodded and took a deep breath. He felt for the cores inside him, the tiny fragments that held him together. It was odd he had only half of his core. Frowning he searched for it and found it locked away safely at the Cous Coussier in this realm. It was strange indeed. Summoning strength and squeezing Eiji's hand, Ankh channeled energy from the Core, shifting his body to that of his Greeed Bird Form._

_It hurt like a bitch. He felt as if the parts of him that no longer existed exploded through shards of glass to become whole again. A scream escaped him as his body shimmered. He couldn't hold it, he didn't have enough strength. _

"_Hang in there Ankh, you can do it," Eiji cheered him on, taking both of Ankh's hands in his, squeezing them reassuringly. Ankh clasped them in a death grip, his body refusing to hold his full form. Finally he had to settle on being half human half Greeed, his missing appendages replaced by the Greeed ones. At least he could walk now. He collapsed against Eiji winded and out of breath. Those comforting arms wrapped around Ankh's damaged body once more, pouring comfort and warmth into the Greeed. "You did it, I'm proud of you."_

"_Thanks. Now then, how do we get out of here," Ankh asked, looking around the room he hadn't really seen before. Eiji pointed towards the door that was almost hidden on the wall._

"_I think we go that way, but how will I be able to pay Ramon? He took the Taka medal before," Eiji thought allowed._

"_YOU GAVE HIM ONE OF MY CORE MEDALS?!" Ankh shouted, his body shimmering for a moment as he tried to go into full Greeed form again. Eiji laughed nervously as he held his arms up defensively._

"_D-Don't worry…I'll find a way to get it back…I hope." Eiji said, backing away slowly. Maya giggled at the couple, leaning against Otoya. Reaching into a pouch at her waist she pulled out two tokens and handed them to Eiji._

"_Give him these and tell him he owes you the Core Medal. Tell him if he doesn't then I won't bring him back some of those noodles he loves so much next time I go back to the Awaken Realm," Maya said, smiling a bit mischievously. Eiji opened his hand to see two black chess pieces, one of a king and the other of a queen piece. Ankh frowned at the pieces and looked at Maya questioningly._

"_I met a girl who had that same chess piece on her hand. Are you two the bosses that sent for me," Ankh asked picking up the Queen piece to examine it in the firelight. Maya nodded her head._

"_Mio was Queen of the Fangire before her death. She still has the powers of the Queen and is now my apprentice here in the Nightmare Realm. I don't have my Queen Powers anymore but I am still a Fangire. My sons were able to help me until a new Queen was found. I hear she is doing a good job," Maya said, rubbing the palm of her left hand where the mark used to be. _

"_Tell her thank you. She did a good thing in bringing me here." Ankh bowed his head towards the couple as he slowly began to hobble towards the entrance. _

"_You will see her soon enough, she is at your Sanctuary watching over your other half. She always did have good motherly instincts," Otoya said as he sat back down in his throne. "Oh and be careful, once you leave this room the Gauntlet officially starts."_

"_My other half…you mean KoAnkh?! He is still alive?! Come on Eiji, we have to hurry," Ankh shoved Eiji in front of him, giving him an extra push just for good measures. _

_Eiji took a deep breath and stepped through the door, a strange mystical veil covering him like a spider web as he did. He felt it instantly, the change in atmosphere and the distinct feeling of loss. He couldn't sense Ankh at all. He tried to turn around to make sure that Ankh had stepped through._

"_KEEP WALKING!" Ankh warned in his head, no his heart. Eiji straightened up his eyes looking forward as he started walking towards the little boat that sat at the edge of the river. He could do this, he believed he could._

* * *

**Author's Note****:** And so the trial begins. We've built up so much to this and Eiji almost messed it up in the first two steps! You can do it Eiji! Believe in yourself! We are all cheering for you! Make sure you read and review!

Just so you know, they never mentioned if Maya died in the series. Taiga is working hard to find a new substance for Fangire to feed off. Who knows what will happen!


	13. Gauntlet

**Dreams are for Nights**

**Chapter 13 – Gauntlet**

**By ManaGoddess**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, because if I did Ankh and Eiji would have been an official couple on the show instead of just teasing us with great Yaoi moments. All characters from Kamen Rider are owned by the Toei Company. The name 'KoAnkh' is mine though.

**Author's Note: ** Stay brave Eiji, the hardest part of the journey is at hand. We are behind you so don't give up hope! Whatever you do, DON'T LOOK BACK!

I apologize for the language some of these characters have no manners.

* * *

Chiyoko sat on the edge of the tiny bed in the attic above her restaurant, dabbing a wet cloth on a lost little boy's forehead. Of course he didn't _look_ like a little boy at all more like a strange hawk monster. That didn't matter though, he was still important. Over the past hour the magician, Haruto, had informed the restaurant on all he knew of the situation. Hina had suggested calling her brother to have him help with today since it looked like this was going to be a dangerous situation. Placing the cloth back in the bowl she picked it up and headed down stairs for the shift change.

"How is he doing?" Hina asked as she changed a few more stars around the dining room, trying to give it a more summer feel. Chiyoko sighed heavily as she sat in one of the booths.

"I guess he is doing well. I haven't seen any new cracks forming, so that is good." Chiyoko replied as she tried to rub the kinks out of her neck.

"That is good…right Haruto?" Hina asked the Magician who was now helping Shingo hang another banner across an archway.

"It's a start. Nothing else we can do until Eiji comes back." Haruto answered, tying a knot in the string, hoping the banner would hang straight.

"I just hope they are strong enough for this." Gotou said as he stepped back, double checking the banner. "I'll go up and watch him for a while. I'll report if anything changes."

"Thank you Gotou, this has been a huge help to me…to all of us," Hina said smiling at the Rider as he climbed the stairs, not seeing his flushing cheeks.

A train whistle echoed through the down stairs dining room, catching everyone's attention followed by a loud thud from the coat closet. Shingo, Haruto, Hina, and Chiyoko all edged closer to the tiny room, Chiyoko holding a broom she was using earlier, ready to attack if needed. Hina looked over at Haruto as she heard a strange **Driver on, please **from his belt.

"Ouch! I thought you said this was the front door," a man's voice said, muffled by the door. "Deneb, were you even paying attention?"

"I'm sorry Yuuto I must have missed the juncture. At least we have arrived at our destination…I believe," a second male voice laughed nervously.

"Deneb…" the first man growled. There was another bang as some things fell over onto people. "Can anyone reach the door knob?"

"I think we should open it for them, they seem to be stuck," Chiyoko whispered, hiding behind Shingo with her broom ready. Smiling, Haruto stepped forward and opened the door. Six bodies spilled out of the tiny room followed by another train whistle. Haruto was caught off guard and was pinned under everyone.

"Yo, Shotaro your elbow is crushing my rub cage," a high school boy who had been at the restaurant yesterday said as he tried to wiggle out from the dog pile.

"Sorry Gentaro but I'm pinned under Philip," the detective said, struggling to roll out.

"Oh my goodness," Hina exclaimed as she grabbed Deneb, who was on the top of pile, and pulled him off with her inhuman strength. The pile fell apart, everyone finally free.

"Welcome to the Cous Coussier! I'm sorry but we don't open for a few more hours," Chiyoko said as she helped a man in a green suit to his feet. Shingo and the others helped the new arrivals up as well. The man in the green suit extended his hand to Haruto, smiling at the Rider who was flat on his back still.

"Sorry about that, didn't see you there," the man said laughing as Haruto was pulled up.

"No worries. It is good to see you again Sakurai, who are all these people," Haruto asked, looking at the high school students and the detectives. Gentaro stepped forward and extended his hand to the Magician.

"I'm Gentari Kisaragi, the man who will befriend all the Riders!" Gentari exclaimed, smiling broadly at the slightly confused Haruto. Sakurai sighed and shook his head.

"Allow me to introduce everyone…" Sakurai said.

**-OOO-**

_It was eerily quiet outside of the Temple in the Underworld. Eiji swore his heartbeat echoed off the walls in the open cave. Ahead of him Ramon sat on the edge of his boat, fixing the little lantern that hung from a hook. He glanced at the noise, still in his Bashaa form and tilted his head at Eiji._

_ "I guess you're running the Gauntlet huh? I'm glad you made it! Sadly though, I have to charge you double," Ramon thought for a moment on what he should possibly charge Eiji. "That core was very nice…perhaps you would like to give me-"_

_ "I was told to give you these," Eiji interrupted, reaching into his pocket to hand Ramon the two chess pieces. The Merman blinked his large eyes, almost afraid to touch them. Cautiously, as if reaching for a live snake, he took the pieces into his hands. "I was also told to tell you to give me back my Taka Medal in exchange for noodles Maya promised to get for you when she went to the Awaken World." Ramon groaned aloud._

_ "But I liked the red Medal…it was so pretty…" He grumbled but took the core out and tossed it to Eiji. "Fine, it's probably better in your hands so you can transform. With that spirit following you the waters will be extremely violent." Eiji nodded as he held the core close to his chest. Yes, he needed this comfort. Summoning the OOO Driver he slid it around his waist, putting the three core medals in it and sliding the OOO scanner over it._

_**Taka, Tora, Batta! TaToBa! TaToBa TaToBa!**__ The belt chimed as the cores surrounded Eiji, transforming him into OOO. He let out a sigh of relief as he felt the familiar red, yellow, and green armor surround him giving him the strength he would need for this challenge. _

_ "You better sit in the front, that way you won't be tempted to look back," Ramon suggested as he held the boat still for OOO to get in. Eiji sat at the very front, his heart pounding as he waited to feel the boat shake for Ankh to get on. The only movement he felt was when Ramon pushed the boat from the shore._

_ "Wait, what about – ouch," Eiji winced as Ramon hit him with the oar._

_ "Eyes forward! Trust me, Ankh is here. Just keep an eye out for lost spirits." Eiji blushed in his helmet as he almost failed yet again. It was a wonder how he was going to make it to the top without losing Ankh. He had to trust in the Greeed. _

_ Pushing all thoughts aside, Eiji kept his eyes forward as he watched waves come towards him. Spirits rose out of the water slightly, groaning and screeching as they reached out for the boat. They were hairless and light green, their skin wrinkled from being submerged for so long. Several reached onto the boat, groaning as they grabbed at Eiji, trying to get to Ankh._

_ "No! You can't have him!" Eiji shouted, the yellow symbol on his chest shining brightly as claws extended from his hands. He swiped at the Spirits, cutting a few down._

_ "Don't worry about hurting the spirits! The water will heal them after a while. Just keep them off of us!" Ramon shouted firing a barrage of bubbles at the monsters attacking them. Eiji nodded his head, determination burning brightly within as he slashed at the monsters._

_ 'Oh God, Eiji, help me!' Ankh's voice echoed from behind him followed by several screams. The boat rocked violently followed by a huge spash._

_ "ANKH," Eiji shouted, trying to turn around again, but was hit once again with an oar._

_ "I won't warn you again, eyes forward! The spirits are playing tricks on you he is fine!" Ramon scolded, kicking another Spirit in the chest as it tried to topple the boat. "We're almost there, just hold on." Bubbles fired from every which way as the boat picked up speed. OOO slashed with every fiber of his being, his own screams drowning out Ankh's as tears rolled down his cheeks. He could do this, he could._

_ The boat came to a violent halt as it hit the shore, almost toppling Eiji onto the beach. Eiji jumped out the side and ran towards the staircase. _

_ "Keep going, I'll keep them back. Don't listen to the voices; they will try to trick you!" Ramon shouted as he shot the monsters with his bullets. "Tell Jiro I need help!" Eiji's heart went out to the young man who was doing so much to help. He would find a way to repay that kind of kindness. He dashed up the stairs, lanterns on the wall coming to life as he approached. _

_ "Eiji, they won't let me leave! AH! They are trying to eat me! Please help me damn it!" Ankh's voice cried out, cracking Eiji's heart. No, he had to keep going. Just a little further and he would be at the door, he could do this._

_ "Please Eiji…if you love me…help me…" His voice sounded so pained, as if they were truly tearing him apart. Images of Ankh lying in the pile of rags back at the Temple, his body broken and half eaten flashed through his mind. He shook his head to clear those memories, his heart cracking with every scream. His resolve was beginning to waver. Pushing himself harder, Eiji burst through the door at the top of the stairs._

_**-OOO-**_

Haruto descended the stairs slowly, his mind racing with possibilities that could be happening inside Ankh or KoAnkh's Underworld. He put on a brave front for the others but in all honesty, he was just as much in the dark as they were. He knew what _should_ be happening, but when the other rider, Gotou, and Hina had explained what the Greeeds were, he wasn't sure anymore. Either way, the group needed hope. They came all the way here to give that hope to Eiji which meant it was Haruto's job to keep everyone else's hope alive.

Hina met him at the base of the stairs, a fresh bowl of water in her hands and a wash cloth draped over her arm. She smiled meekly up at the magician, but it quickly began to waver. "Is he…going to be okay," she asked, her voice cracking slightly. Haruto put on his best smile as he noticed Gotou watching him.

"Of course he will. Only one or two new cracks have formed, but they are tiny so nothing to worry about," Haruto answered, patting her gently on the shoulder. Hina laughed softly to herself.

"Thank goodness, I've been worried. I'll go keep an eye on him now I suppose," she bowed slightly to Haruto before running up the stairs water sloshing over the side of the bowl. Before Haruto could take two steps Gotou was there, his face serious and threatening.

"You are lying to her, aren't you," Gotou asked, drying his hands on a hand towel. Even dressed as a strange Garuda he was threatening. It was obvious he had feelings for Hina, but the girl was so wrapped up in the situation around her she probably didn't even notice. Haruto chuckled quietly.

"Not a big lie, just a little white one. She needs something to keep her going, all these people do. I think he can do it, he just needs a bit of help," Haruto looked upwards, his mind racing once again. Inside he could hear the WizarDragon churning, wanting to go defeat the Phantom that could potentially be made. The Greeed were made from a strange, old magic. Neither Haruto nor WizarDragon had any idea what would come if the Phantom was allowed to escape.

"I guess that is why we are all here, isn't it." Gotou looked at the dining room filled with Kamen Riders, each one having a strange connection to Eiji in one way or another. Everyone in the restaurant knew that they would gladly lay their lives on the line for Eiji. For their fellow Rider to be so close to his life's goal, he just had to make it. "I have faith in Hino he will survive this as will Ankh." Gotou said with an amazing amount of certainty in his voice. "Hina knows that too, but she will still worry as will Chiyoko." Haruto tilted his head to the side at the Rider.

"How do you know that," Haruto asked. If anything the actions of Chiyoko and Hina told everyone else that they should hope for the best but expect the worst. Gotou drew a deep breath to explain, but was interrupted by Hina rushing back down stairs, shoving herself between Haruto and Gotou.

"Everyone, come quick, something…something is happening," Hina exclaimed, her breath coming in gasps as she turned and ran back upstairs, not caring if anyone else followed. The Riders exchanged looks this was the moment they had been summoned for. Six men summoned various belts, snapping them around their waist.

Shingo blinked as the Riders ran up the stairs to the tiny attic room. The mysterious school girl chased after them as she held some herbs in her hand and the strange Imagine bringing up the end.

"I feel quiet inadequate compared to them…" Shingo said softly as he made his way up the stairs behind the group. Chiyoko put her hand on the detective's shoulder, smiling at him.

"Don't worry you have your own strengths. Even super heroes need friends." Chiyoko gave him a big hug as she walked upstairs with Shingo. Even though neither of them had anything special to offer the group, they were here for support. Sometimes those who face the darkness needed someone to be the light to remind them of the good inside.

_**-OOO-**_

_ Jiro jumped as the door leading to the River below burst open, slamming against the stone wall. In an instant he leapt out of the chair, his claws dragging on the ground to create blue sparks allowing him to transform into his Wolfen form. He crouched on the ground, ready to strike when he saw a disheveled OOO running towards him._

_ "What the hell…" Jiro began but looked past to see the spirit following him. He understood and let out a loud howl._

_ "J-Jiro! Please…you…you have to help Ramon!" Eiji said as he almost collided with the Wolfen. "They...they are trying to take Ankh...please! I'm begging you." Jiro could hear the tears in the man's voice. It tore at him, but what could he really do? It was Eiji's gauntlet to run and any outside interference would be a sort of disqualification. _

_ 'Damn it Eiji! Help me! Are you going to abandon me again to these damn souls?! You promised…AHHHH!' Ankh's screams echoed in Eiji's head. The Rider shut his eyes tight trying to block the sound but it did nothing. He wanted to look back, to check on Ankh, but he had already been warned._

_ "Please Jiro…I'm begging you…" OOO whimpered, his body shaking in pain so great he wondered if he was going to break right here. Jiro grabbed OOO's arms, preventing him from collapsing on the floor._

_ 'You…you are replacing me…you love him more than me…why…was I not good enough for you?' Ankh's voice echo'd once more. Eiji shook his head._

_ "No Ankh…I meant what I said…" Eiji whispered aloud, holding onto Jiro for support as he sobbed. "I meant every word…" _

_ "What the fuck are you talking about?" Jiro snarled, dragging the Rider to his feet and giving him a good shake. "Pull yourself together!" Eiji just shook his head, still crying inside the helmet. _

_ 'You're in another's arms…I…I see now…you…you betrayed me once again. How many times do you plan on killing me Eiji? How many times are you going to break me? Are you going to toss away KoAnkh just like you did me?' the voices echoed throughout Eiji's head. He covered his ears, trying to block the sound but they were coming from inside him. All Eiji could do was scream._

_ "Oh for the love of God…" Jiro rolled his eyes before punching Eiji in the face. The Rider stumbled for a moment then looked up at Jiro, finally seeing the Wolfen in front of him. "Pull yourself together and get the hell out of my castle! This is why I hate humans you all are weak in the heart. If you understood what it was like to find your perfect mate then you wouldn't be bombarded by the spirits." Jiro howled once more and pushed past Eiji, dashing to the stairs. He stopped at the doorway. _

_ "Weak in the heart…" Eiji mumbled, still looking at the door that would lead him to the final hallway outside. _

_ "Don't keep looking to the past OOO, start moving forward instead," Jiro said before he tore off down the stairs, slashing at spirits that had managed to get passed Ramon. His howls echoed off the stone walls._

_ "Start moving forward…" Eiji whispered as he took a step forward, followed by another. The voices seemed a bit quieter now but he still felt so alone. Shaking his head he ran through the double doors into the hallway that would take him out of Castle Duran and into the blissful sunlight. The sconces on the wall lit up as he ran down the hallway, illuminating the pitch black hall. There, up ahead, he saw the final flight of stairs as well as a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. He could do this he just had to trust in himself. _

_ Taking the steps two at a time, he prayed to whatever deity felt like listening that Ankh truly was behind him. Everything in his body screamed at him to turn back, to make sure he was okay, but a tiny light in his heart kept urging him forward. He trusted that light, as he always would. Up ahead the light grew brighter and brighter as Eiji could finally make out the teeth that marked the entrance to Castle Duran. Letting out a battle cry, he lunged through the hole into the bright sunlight._

**-OOO-**

Haruto crouched next to the sleeping Greeed on the bed, his brows furrowed as he inspected the numerous cracks that had formed. Hina sat on the bed replacing the older cloth with a fresh one over its forehead.

"Is everything okay," Hina asked as she smoothed back the feathers, smiling down at the form she had begun to care about so long ago. Ankh was like another brother to her and she wanted him to be safe. Haruto straightened and shrugged, his Driver still around his waist.

"To tell you the truth, I don't know. It usually doesn't take this long, in fact I'm surprised he has lasted," Haruto said honestly. Silence hung thick in the room as everyone assessed the situation in their own way.

"What happens if he fails," Shotaro asked as he adjusted his hat, a purple Gaia Memory in his hand just in case he needed it. All eyes focused on Haruto.

"Then…we have to kill whatever beast erupts from the shell," Haruto looked back at the Red and Green body, watching as more cracks formed. Tears silently rolled down its cheeks. Tension filled the air as no one dared to talk.

"You can do it Kamen Rider OOO," Tomoko shouted, startling everyone in the room. Gentaro put his hand on her shoulder, laughing at the girl's energy.

"Come on OOO, don't give up! Settle it man to man," Gentaro pounded his chest twice and pointed at the Greeed's body, the Fourze Driver around his waist with two of the switches already flipped, ready for anything.

"You can count up your sins later OOO, just make it through this trial," Shotaro looked at his partner and smiled. Philip closed his book and chuckled softly.

"Sometimes you just need to look inside for the answers, be brave and grab onto the book of your life with both hands," Philip nudged his partner, flushing ever so slightly at these strange emotions.

"We are here to help you Eiji," Hina smiled down at the Bird Greeed as memories flooded her of their adventures together.

"All you need to do is reach your hand out Eiji, we'll grasp it and help you!" Shingo shouted from the back of the room.

"I told you from the start Hino, you are a very strong person!" Sakurai nodded his head as glanced at the Memory Card in his hand, the hopeful energy in the room surprisingly contagious.

"Even if it seems futile, there is always hope," Deneb said putting his hand on Sakurai's shoulder.

"You never gave up Hino, you can do this," Gotou nodded his head, the Birth Driver still around his waist as he held a Cell Medal tightly in his hand.

"You will always have a home here so make sure you come back," Chiyoko giggled as she looked around the room at all of Eiji's friends.

"Light will always shine around you even as you fight the shadow known as 'doubt'. Have hope though, the curtain has risen on your play Eiji and you have to stick with it to the end. It's show time," Haruto said as he put his hand on the Greeed's chest over where the heart should be. Hope pulsed in the room as everyone watched and waited.

_**-OOO-**_

_ Kamen Rider OOO shielded his eyes from the glaring sunlight as he stumbled out of the sleeping dragon. They were hiding deep in a forest the sun up high above the little clearing. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves as Castle Duran yawned once again, rolling its head over. _

_ "We…we made it…" Eiji whispered aloud. Laughing he opened his arms to the warm light. "We did it Ankh!" _

_ 'I'm so glad Eiji! Turn around and let me see your face please….' Ankh's voice whispered softly, a chuckle echoing slightly in the empty forest. Eiji smiled as he slowly turned to see his partner once again._

_ "Eiji no," several voices shouted at once. Suddenly, Eiji was grasped by eleven pairs of hands. Ahead of him the spiritual forms of his friends were there, restraining him from turning around. He struggled against their grasp, but it was too strong._

_ "They are right OOO," a girl's voice said as she wondered into the clearing. Mio held her arm, blood dripping down from her hand. She was a bit beat up, but smiling. "You aren't out of the Gauntlet yet." Eiji shook his head in disbelief._

_ "But they said…I had to get to Sanctuary…" Eiji mumbled, his heart pounding in his chest as he struggled against his friends. "Let me go! I have to see Ankh!"_

_ "This is how Orpheus failed," Philip said calmly, giving Eiji a good shake. _

_ "You have to come home Eiji," Chiyoko's sing-song voice said, penetrating his denial. He looked up at the faces of the people who supported him, who had helped him get through so much._

_ "But…how…" Eiji whispered, tears forming once again as he held onto the people in front of him, leaning on them for support._

_ "The Cous Coussier," Mio said, her eyes scanning the sky. "We need to hurry though." Eiji nodded as he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He was almost home._

_ "Well, well, well, look what I found here! Oh my, such a very special meal, it must be my birthday," a voice cawed from above the group. Up above the clearing the Crow Yummy hovered, his wing damaged and parts of his body bleeding. He laughed at the scene below him._

_ "Looks like we just jumped out of the frying pan Ankh," Eiji mumbled to himself as he wasn't sure what to do._

_ "Go! We'll handle this," Sakurai shouted at Eiji as his spirit form slid the Memory Card into his belt. Silently thanking his friends, Mio grabbed Eiji's hand as they dashed through the woods towards their freedom._

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__So close Eiji, so close! This chapter may seem a bit short, but I wanted to break up the gauntlet into two parts to give each their own space to develop. We are almost home, can Eiji do it? Keep on cheering! Also, I lied about Haruto being the last Kamen Rider Cameo...we have one more to make hehe._


End file.
